


Kony's Island

by katzengefluster



Category: iKON (Kpop)
Genre: A story about boys camping in the woods and finding adventure, Adventure, Alternate Universe - High School, Gen, Inspired by The Goonies, M/M, OT7 Friendship, Winner boys will also make an appearance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-19
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-07-25 11:31:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 108,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7531054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katzengefluster/pseuds/katzengefluster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With looming school foreclosure and forced relocation, 7 friends embark on a quest to find the hidden pirate treasure of Kony's Island! (Think of it as a fic to go along with the Kony's Island Season's Greetings picture book!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Best Laid Plans

**Author's Note:**

> When I got my copy of the Kony's Island Season's Greetings DVD package, the first thing that came to my mind was how much it reminded me of my favourite 80's movie "The Goonies". The setting for the story is that OT7 all go to the same high school, but their school is being threatened with foreclosure due to mounting bills and a severe lack of funds. If foreclosure happens, they're going to be split up going to different schools. Before that occurs they decide to have one last adventure-filled weekend together.
> 
> Important Notes:  
> 1) Bobby & Chanwoo are brothers! I loved the brotherly dynamics from the movie and wanted a brother pair for the story.  
> 2) I've fudged the ages a bit to make things work (and am working with a global aging/school system, not the Korean one):  
> High School seniors (18/17): Bobby, Jinhwan, Yunhyeong, Minho, Seunghoon  
> High School juniors (17/16): Hanbin, Taehyun  
> High School freshmen (16/15): Donghyuk, Junhoe, Chanwoo  
> 3) It will be explained in the story, but the Winner boys go to a rich private school, that up until a year before the fic, Hanbin also used to go to (until his family fell into poverty and he was forced to switch schools). Hanbin is actually dating Minho for the majority of the fic (though Minho himself is only going to appear twice in the story). It's still mostly Bobby/Hanbin interactions though (and that will be something of a slow-burn, but with plenty of flirting).  
> 4) I know American football is not hugely popular in Korea, but I'm using that as my high school sport anyway (though it's really only used in passing mention to explain the rivalry of certain characters). It's not a big deal, but i just wanted to point it out to head off anyone nitpicking the detail. ;)

The warm breeze of a mid-July afternoon wafting in through wide-open windows did nothing to improve the attitude of the five teenagers sitting around the living room, frowning faces mirrored replicas of one another. The school semester had just come to an end, but unlike previous years, it was no cause for celebration.

“I can’t believe they’re going to settle on closure,” Yunhyeong sighed, sitting on the couch next to Donghyuk, “it’s so depressing.”

“I know,” Donghyuk replied, hugging his knees against his chest, “I don’t want to go to a different school.”

“What zone are you in?” Chanwoo asked him. “We’ll have to transfer to Kyungbock.”

“I would be going to there, but my mom is set on me going to Jungsan,” Donghyuk replied. “That’s where dad went, and she thinks the closure is a sign that I should follow in his footsteps.”

Chanwoo frowned, upset at the news. Donghyuk was his best friend; having to switch schools was going to be terrible enough, but not even being together would make things even worse. “Junhoe?”

“Inhun for me,” Junhoe answered.

“I’d be going to Inhun too,” Yunhyeong said. “It’s a nice school at least, but I don’t want to change.”

“We’re all going to get split up.” Chanwoo whined, unhappy about the news.

“These things happen, Chanu, quit crying about it,” Bobby replied, the only one not sporting a long face. Instead he was busy doing bicep curls with a thirty pound dumbbell.

Chanwoo ignored his brother. “I don’t want us to be split up,” he looked pointedly at Donghyuk as he spoke, “we’ve been in the same class since we started going to school!”

“I know!” Donghyuk commiserated, “I don’t want to have to make a bunch of new friends.”

“You’ll be fine, you’re a social butterfly.” Yunhyeong told Donghyuk, patting him consolingly on the arm.

“Thanks, but new friends can’t make up for losing the ones I’ve had since childhood.” Donghyuk replied.

“Can you guys stop? You’re making me sick to my stomach,” Bobby complained. In reality he was just as bothered as the others about the school change—but he had far more important reasons for being upset. Bobby captained the football team at his current school and switching was going to impact his sports. On top of that he’d be separated from his crush, Kim Hanbin. 

Bobby had realized he was attracted to guys when he was fourteen. He’d been dating a girl then, but three weeks into the relationship he’d found himself kissing her older brother and that had been enough to send him scurrying away from the family. Two months later he’d finally accepted that he was attracted to both genders, but he hadn’t dated a guy until two years after that. It had lasted a long time for a teenage romance (five blissful months) but eventually they’d gotten sick of each other. While his friends knew and were cool with it, Bobby hadn’t told anyone in his family yet except his younger brother, Chanwoo.

But then, ten months ago, Bobby met the love of his life. Hanbin had transferred to their school from a rich private academy and Bobby had been smitten from their first hello. The only problem was that Hanbin had a boyfriend, and that boyfriend happened to be one of Bobby’s biggest rivals in the high school football scene. He’d spent the past ten months befriending Hanbin simply so he could spend more time with him, patiently waiting for disaster to strike Hanbin’s relationship so Bobby could swoop in and offer himself.

But now they were going to be split up, since Hanbin was in a different relocation zone than he was—which didn’t leave him much time to steal Hanbin’s heart.

“This conversation is too depressing; I’m gonna go make some food. Any requests?” Yunhyeong got up from the couch, making his way to the kitchen.

“Nachos!” Bobby called out. He wasn’t supposed to be eating crap over the break (especially not if he wanted to try and break his way into Kyungbock’s football team) but he wouldn’t feel as bad if everyone was sharing them.

“Aren’t you supposed to be eating healthy?” Yunhyeong teased him.

“Chop up some tomatoes to go with them?” Bobby joked back.

“Alright, nachos it is! Please try to change the topic to something less depressing while I’m gone!” Yunhyeong retreated to the kitchen then, leaving the other four alone.

“We should do something big, something to commemorate our time together before things change.” Chanwoo suggested.

“Like what?” Donghyuk asked.

“Some epic adventure,” Chanwoo replied, “something we’ll all remember forever.”

Bobby rolled his eyes. “You’re such a dork.”

“I think it’s a nice idea!” Donghyuk cut in, glaring at Bobby. “We don’t know what’s going to happen for sure, the vote is next week. We should have one last adventure together before we potentially get split up!”

“Going to a different school doesn’t mean you can’t still hang out,” Bobby said.

“Yeah but it’ll be different,” Chanwoo replied, “We won’t see each other every day, that can break friendships.”

Bobby snorted in derision. “If only things worked that way,” he muttered to himself, beginning a new set of bicep curls.

“Well no one said you were invited anyway,” Junhoe cut in, “so your opinion doesn't matter.”

Bobby grinned at Junhoe’s attitude. “I’m older than you, don’t be disrespectful.”

Junhoe rolled his eyes back at him, and Bobby would have reprimanded him again for fun had the doorbell not rung just then. “That’s probably Jinani, Chanu go let him in.” Bobby directed, continuing with his weights.

“You’re so annoying, hyung,” Chanwoo huffed before getting up and heading for the door. “Hey Jinan hyung!” He greeted as he let Jinhwan in.

“Hey Chanu-ya!”

“Bobby’s in the living room showing off with his weights again,” Chanwoo said.

Jinhwan grinned. “As usual.” He slipped off his shoes and headed in to join the others, smacking the back of Bobby’s head. “Hey guys!”

“Hey hyung!” Donghyuk greeted. “We were just talking about doing something fun together over the weekend!”

“Oh no you don’t!” Bobby said. “You are not roping my friends into this!”

“Jinhwan hyung is our friend too!” Donghyuk countered, pleased when Jinhwan smacked Bobby again.

“Yah, don’t be so rude to the kids!” Jinhwan reprimanded. “What are you guys thinking of doing?”

“Kony’s Island,” Chanwoo quickly said, all eyes turning to him.

“Here we go,” Bobby said in a huff, annoyed at his little brother’s refusal to drop the subject.

“Come on, we can camp out for the weekend! It would be fun,” Chanwoo said, though that wasn’t the only reason why he wanted to go. He’d been a long-time fan of the legend that surrounded the island, of lost pirate treasure. He’d always wanted to go exploring, but his parents had never quite shared his enthusiasm. He had high hopes that they’d say yes to a weekend camping excursion with his friends, especially if he could convince Bobby and Jinhwan to come.

“I like camping.” Jinhwan said, grinning at Bobby.

“Have you ever gone camping before?” Bobby asked him, annoyed at his betrayal. The last thing he wanted to do was spend the weekend babysitting Chanwoo (he knew he’d end up having fun if they went, but he’d rather spend his weekend hanging out with Hanbin). 

“Yeah, when I was little!” Jinhwan answered. In truth he’d never gone camping before, but it sounded like fun.

“We can go swimming and hiking and have a huge bonfire,” Chanwoo pleaded, ready to shamelessly beg Bobby if he had to.

“Lame.” Bobby said, starting on a new round of bicep curls.

“Does he have to come, though?” Junhoe cut in again, earning himself another glare from Bobby.

“If Chanwoo wants out of the house, yes.” Bobby said with a grin.

“Ah right, your overprotective parents.” Junhoe frowned.

“You have to come, hyung.” Chanwoo pleaded, pouting at Bobby.

Bobby was used to it though. “Eh, I have better things to do with my time.”

Before the argument was able to get going, Yunhyeong emerged from the kitchen, carrying a tray in his hands. “Nachos are ready!” He announced as he went about setting the tray down on the table.

“Perfect!” Bobby said, completing his set and putting the dumbbell down before sitting on his knees in front of the coffee table, reaching for a particularly cheesy nacho chip.

“Yunhyeong hyung, you’d come camping with us to Kony’s Island, right?” Chanwoo asked.

“Yeah, that sounds like fun!” Yunhyeong sat down on the couch next to Chanwoo, reaching for a chip.

“Stop turning my friends against me,” Bobby complained, stuffing another chip in his mouth. “These are so good, Yoyo!” He said with a full mouth.

“Ugh, Bobby! Learn some manners,” Jinhwan complained, smacking his best friend again before reaching for some nachos himself.

“I’ve heard there are wolves on Kony’s Island, so Bobby should feel right at home, seeing as how that’s who raised him.” Junhoe said, making everyone laugh. Bobby just shook his head and shovelled a chip piled high with ground beef and peppers into his mouth.

“There, it’s settled! We’ll all go camping, and Bobby can be reunited with his real family.” Jinhwan said, grinning at Bobby’s annoyed expression.

“I never agreed to this!” Bobby complained.

“Come on, you’re outnumbered!” Yunhyeong teased.

“Hyung please, I’ll potentially do anything you want if you do this for me!” Chanwoo carefully picked his words.

“Potentially do anything,” Bobby repeated, unable to help but grin at the comment. “I don’t know; it’s not really my ideal way to spend a weekend.”

“Oh come on! You know you’ll have fun!” Donghyuk pleaded, desperate for the idea and not wanting anyone left out.

“I don’t know, let me think about it.” Bobby replied, gorging himself on another chip. The doorbell rang again. “Chanu, go get it.”

Chanwoo sighed in irritation as he got up, heading for the front door. He grinned when he saw who it was. “Ah, Hanbin hyung!” Chanwoo yelled out loud, “No, Bobby’s not here right now!” He grinned at Hanbin, who grinned back and leaned against the doorframe.

“Yah, Chanwoo!” Bobby yelled as he jumped to his feet, running to the door. “So irritating!” He said as he swatted at his brother. Chanwoo just laughed and moved out of reach.

“Nice to see the two of you are still as loving as ever.” Hanbin said with a laugh.

Bobby turned his attention from Chanwoo to Hanbin, smiling brightly at his visitor. “Hanbin-ah, how’s it going?”

Hanbin smiled back. “Good, just thought I’d drop by and see what you were doing.”

“We’re planning a weekend camping trip to Kony’s Island, hyung, you wanna come?” Chanwoo cut in quickly. As much as Bobby tried to hide it, Chanwoo wasn’t blind. Bobby had it bad for Hanbin, and if Chanwoo could somehow get Hanbin to come along, Bobby would eagerly come too.

“Ah, Chanwoo!” Bobby whined, “Stop trying to drag my friends into this!”

Hanbin grinned. “Camping on Kony’s Island? I’m down for sure!”

Chanwoo grinned. “Yes!”

“Seriously?!” Bobby whined, “You don’t have to humour my little brother.”

Hanbin smiled at Chanwoo. “I’m not humouring him! I love Kony’s Island; I’ve camped out there a lot.”

“You have?” Chanwoo asked, jealous but intrigued.

“Oh yeah, my dad and I used to go exploring the island looking for the lost treasure of legend when I was younger,” Hanbin explained, “used to go partying there a lot last year with my friends.”

Bobby couldn’t help but frown at Hanbin’s comment about his friends. Bobby knew all about those particular friends—his rich friends from the rich school, including Hanbin’s boyfriend, Song Minho, the bane of Bobby’s existence. Ever since Hanbin had switched to their school at the start of this past year, Bobby had found a new reason to hate Minho, and it had everything to do with who he was dating.

Chanwoo didn’t care one bit about Hanbin’s partying habits though. He was more interested in Hanbin’s childhood exploration of the island. “So you’re familiar with the legends?” He asked carefully.

Hanbin smiled excitedly. “Familiar is an understatement,” Hanbin said. “Obsessed is probably a better term.”

Chanwoo couldn’t contain his excitement. “Me too! I’ve never been able to go see everything, though.”

“Then we have to do this! It’ll be awesome!” Hanbin replied, smiling between Chanwoo and Bobby.

“Are you sure? You don’t think it’s a waste of time?” Bobby asked, a little dismayed to find Hanbin so eagerly into the idea.

“Waste of time? Are you kidding me? It’s perfect, actually. Chanwoo, I wish I’d known you were so interested! I’ve given up talking to anyone else about it, everybody always tells me I’m a loser for believing in the stories but I don’t care. Too much of it matches up, I’m convinced there has to be some truth to it.”

“This is perfect!” Chanwoo said, overjoyed. He looked smugly at Bobby. “So will you agree to go now?”

Bobby glared at his little brother, although suddenly he realized that this may work out after all. He’d get to spend the entire weekend with Hanbin. Sure, they wouldn’t be alone, and Chanwoo might try to monopolize his time, but Bobby wouldn’t have to deal with Minho, so he’d take what he could get.

“Oh come on, Bobby,” Hanbin pleaded on behalf of Chanwoo, “this will be fun! We’ll be on our own for the whole weekend! It’ll be perfect.”

Bobby couldn’t help but smile at Hanbin’s pleading. “Well, I can’t say no to that, can I?” He looked at Chanwoo, annoyed when he saw his brother’s pleased expression. “Don’t make me regret this, Chanu!”

“Don’t be such a grump,” Hanbin teased, grabbing Bobby’s arm and tugging on it, “I’m starving, come feed me.” Bobby followed Hanbin, but not before shooting a final playful glare at his brother. Chanwoo grinned back at him.

This was going to be perfect.


	2. A Happy Accident

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every good adventure starts when you find a treasure map!

Okay, so maybe Bobby had been wrong about this whole thing. This weekend getaway trip was turning out to be the best idea they’d had all year. After getting their parents to agree, Hanbin practically spent every day at their house, discussing plans with Chanwoo. Bobby sat around and listened, even though he thought the legends were just that—legends for kids. But Hanbin was cute discussing them, passion sparkling in his eyes as he recounted childhood adventures with his father.

It actually made Bobby feel bad, because he could see the jealousy on Chanwoo’s face as he listened to Hanbin. He was sorry to Chanwoo for never having the opportunity to explore as a kid. They’d never had money to spare for trips, and their parents had worked most weekends anyway.

Chanwoo and Hanbin made the living room their base of operations, old maps and a slew of history textbooks dominating the floor space (all Hanbin's, to Bobby's surprise). Bobby knew that history was Hanbin's favourite subject, but his obsession was a little over the top. Bobby still thought he looked adorable though, passionately delivering detail after detail to a tireless Chanwoo, whose face never once wrinkled in irritation the way it usually did when Bobby talked to him about football.

They lived in a small house so Bobby usually worked out in the living room, a practice he kept up every time Hanbin came over. Since it was the summer and the weather was warm, Bobby worked out shirtless. Maybe it was a little vain, but he knew he had a killer upper body. Bobby worked hard on his physique, not just for football, but also to counter his face, which he thought was definitely his weakest point. He'd been self-conscious about it all throughout his younger years (especially his teeth—he'd spent his tenth year begging his dad for braces after getting teased about them, but they'd never had the money for it). Once puberty hit and he'd grown into his perfect athlete's frame, his concerns about his face had grown less and less important. After all—no one teased you when you could destroy them with one arm tied behind your back.

More than once Bobby noticed Hanbin staring at him. So Bobby carried on with the show—hammer curls and dips, tricep extensions and push-ups. Bobby even had a chin-up bar in the door to the kitchen. One time he boldly met Hanbin's watchful eyes, winking at him while completing a set of bicep curls. Hanbin shyly averted his eyes back to the map he and Chanwoo were looking over and Bobby grinned. He loved getting attention for his body, and that attention was ten times sweeter when it came from Hanbin.

Bobby dropped his dumbbells and headed to the kitchen for a break, leaving Hanbin and Chanwoo alone in the living room. Chanwoo had noticed every time Hanbin's attention got diverted to his brother, and while he liked to think of himself as a patient person, he had to admit it was a tad bit annoying. "Are you finished drooling over Bobby?" He asked quietly, trying to keep a straight face while Hanbin's went all panicky.

"What?" Hanbin replied, wide eyes nervously trained on Chanwoo.

"Don't act innocent," Chanwoo joked, "you kept staring at him. Not only that, but you'd just suddenly stop talking, like right in the middle of a sentence. It was so obvious." 

Hanbin bit the inside of his cheek to keep from whining out loud. _Great._ He thought he'd been doing an okay job of secretly staring, but apparently not. "Uh, sorry?" Hanbin apologized lamely, wondering if Chanwoo was offended.

Chanwoo laughed at Hanbin's nervous tone. "Oh it's not a problem, I'm just teasing you, hyung! You probably made Bobby's day, he loves showing off."

Hanbin breathed a little sigh of relief when Chanwoo replied. Even though Hanbin was publicly out, he didn't really talk about it with anyone, so he was never completely certain about what people thought of him. But Chanwoo didn't seem to care. Still, he'd have to do a better job about not letting Bobby distract him from now on.

~

They were currently on a boat heading for the island, a small private ferry operated by a friend of Hanbin’s father (who’d agreed to take them over for free). Bobby and Hanbin were standing at the front of the ferry, side by side, and when Hanbin leaned against him, Bobby could barely keep the grin from his face. _Minho who?_

“Thanks for coming, hyung. I can tell this means a lot to Chanwoo.” Hanbin said, facing Bobby.

Bobby smiled back and hoped he wasn’t blushing. “Ah it’s nothing. I had every intention of coming, I just told him no because I love teasing him.” A lie—he’d had zero intention of going until Hanbin had said yes, but Hanbin didn’t need to know that.

“Still, it’s nice to see him so excited. We’re all worried about this school thing; it’s nice to have a trip together. I know I’ve only been around for a year, so I’m grateful that you guys included me.” Hanbin looked away at the beach, but Bobby kept his eyes on Hanbin. He’d never really thought about how hard it must have been for Hanbin, being separated from his entire life and made to build a new one. He’d had Jinhwan, who he’d known from childhood, but Bobby also knew that part of the reason why Hanbin had been so accepted at school had been due in part to his own friendship with him. Bobby was at the top of the social ladder, after all, and anyone he accepted into his social clique was granted automatic social approval.

If they had to switch schools he and Hanbin would be split up, and he’d have to go through the rebuilding process all over again just after getting settled. Bobby thought it was bullshit.

“Of course we invited you,” Bobby replied, taking opportunity of the situation to throw his arm around Hanbin’s shoulders, “it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been around. I consider you one of my best friends now, and if I have to spend the weekend with Chanwoo and his dorky friends, you bet your ass I want my own friends around.”

Hanbin looked back at Bobby and smiled. “Thanks; that means more to me than you probably know.”

“I hate to break up this romantic moment,” Jinhwan cut in, pointed gaze flitting between both of them, “but you guys look too cozy and I’m jealous.” He shoved his way in between his two friends, grinning when they laughed and made room for him.

“We were just having a heartfelt discussion about friendship,” Hanbin explained.

“Right you were,” Jinhwan teased, “you know if it wasn’t for me you guys might not even be friends.”

Bobby was about to disagree, but he realized that Jinhwan was right. Hanbin was a year below him, so it’s not like they would have had any classes together. In fact, given that Hanbin was dating his arch rival, had it not been for Jinhwan’s introduction, Bobby might have even actively disliked Hanbin on principle.

“I hate it when you’re right, but you’re right.” Bobby admitted, sliding an arm around Jinhwan’s waist. “Proving your worth yet again.”

They neared the island and the ship captain yelled for Hanbin, who untangled himself from his friends and quickly made his way to the side of the boat, jumping up onto the dock. Bobby watched as he grabbed the lines thrown his way and went about securing them to the platform.

“He seems at home on a boat,” Bobby mentioned.

“Oh he is,” Jinhwan said, “his dad used to be president of the yachting society before everything went down.”

“Really?” Bobby asked, wondering why Hanbin had never said anything.

“Yeah, they used to spend time in the US every year at fancy boating galas. Hanbin actually won one of those youth sailing competitions. Did he never tell you about that?”

Bobby frowned. “No, he never mentioned it.”

Jinhwan shrugged. “I guess when you transition from a rich, privileged life to a poor one, the last thing you want to do is tell your new friends about your old life.”

“I guess,” Bobby replied, and he thought Jinhwan was probably on the mark. Still, though, he wondered what else he didn’t know about Hanbin. Maybe he’d have to bring it up and pry a little more.

With the ship safely tied up the group disembarked, grabbing their gear and heading for the beach. Hanbin stayed behind to chat with the ship captain, arranging for a pickup in two days’ time. He joined them and Bobby thought he looked exceptionally happy.

“You seem like you know your way around the dock,” Bobby mentioned, and Hanbin smiled brightly.

“You might laugh, cause it’s such a stereotypical rich kid thing to do, but I used to race in junior regattas. I miss my boat.” Hanbin shrugged and tried to downplay it.

Bobby just smiled and put an arm around his shoulders. “If I didn’t laugh about your obsession with Kony’s Island, I’m not going to laugh about your love of sailing. Why didn’t you ever mention it?”

Hanbin shrugged. “Kinda painful to think about, since I can’t do it anymore. It was a big part of my life.”

“Why can’t you still do it?” Bobby asked, because he wasn't exactly sure how the whole thing worked.

Hanbin frowned and looked heartbreakingly wistful. Bobby was sorry he’d asked. “I could have gotten a scholarship to keep racing with the club, had our monetary issues been out of our control. But given what my dad’s done, we’re not exactly welcome there anymore.” It was true—the moment the news about his father's arrest had hit, the floodgates had opened. Phone call after phone call, faking politeness and apologies that had left his mother crying every time a new one came. _"So sorry to hear about things, and well you know we adore you and the children, but you know how people talk. It'll be better off for everyone involved if maybe you take some time away. Wish things could be different! I'll call you some time though, to check in. You'll be in my thoughts."_ No one ever called, though. Lifelong friendships severed because people were too afraid to socialize with the convict's wife.

“That’s such bullshit,” Bobby stated angrily, “that they’d push you out too.”

Hanbin shrugged, impassive expression settling over his face. “It is what it is, pointless to hold grudges about it.” He looked at Bobby then, grateful smile pulling at his lips. “Thanks for being angry on my behalf, though. I should tell you some sailing stories some time.”

“Yeah you should!” Bobby replied enthusiastically. “You can tell me stories about anything, you know. I won’t think it’s just rich kid bullshit. It was a big part of your life; you’re allowed to miss it.”

Hanbin smiled and hugged him. “Thanks, hyung. You’ll be sorry you said that, though.”

~

Chanwoo stood on the beach and looked around in awe, beyond pleased with the scenery. It was gorgeous, everything just how he’d pictured it. The trees were tall and intensely green, home to happily tweeting birds. The buzz of insects in the grass created a nice comfortable hum, nature’s bass guitar.

“So where are we going?” Donghyuk asked, stopping next to Chanwoo.

“Hanbin hyung said there’s a path we can take to get to an abandoned farm house that’s part of the legend. It’s about an hour’s hike.” Chanwoo answered.

“Good! I’m so happy we’re doing this, it’s so exciting!” Donghyuk beamed, breathing in deeply. “It’s so good to be out of the city!” They started off down the well-trod path, Junhoe falling into step just behind them, Jinhwan next to him. Yunhyeong walked with Bobby and Hanbin, all seven quiet for the first part of the trek, taking in the scenery.

“So what’s special about the farm house?” Donghyuk asked Chanwoo, once the excitement over the forest abated.

“It was supposedly where the Pirates ran their smuggling business out of.” Chanwoo answered.

“Not supposedly, but legitimately,” Hanbin interjected, appearing suddenly beside Donghyuk, “there really was a smuggling business on the island back in the 1700’s.”

“What were they smuggling?” Donghyuk asked.

“Anything they could get their hands on, really,” Hanbin answered, “there was a lot of drugs of course, rich spices and fabrics. They raided about one in eight of every ship coming in with the royal colours. Eventually the ships carrying royal cargo stopped advertising that they were part of the royal fleet. Which was also potentially dangerous, because then the Pirates would think they were unaffiliated. Easier targets versus bigger targets, but the Pirates here weren’t known for going after little guys. So it worked out for them.”

“You know a lot about this,” Donghyuk said, interest clearly evident in his tone of voice and wide eyed look.

“Childhood obsession, remember?” Hanbin grinned in reply, pleased to have a captive audience.

“You say childhood obsession like you aren't still obsessed,” Jinhwan teased.

“I think it’s great to remain passionate about things for such a long time!” Donghyuk replied, his tone slightly scolding.

“Oh calm down, Dong Dong, I’m just teasing him. He gets enough grief about this from his boyfriend; he knows I’m just joking.” Jinhwan skipped forward to wind his arms around Hanbin, hugging him tightly from behind.

“Thanks for bringing that up,” Hanbin grumbled, only pretending to be upset. It was true what Jinhwan had said—Minho did view his obsession with the stories of old poorly, never hesitating to tease him and tell him to grow up and stop wasting his time on them. It had gotten to the point that Hanbin didn’t bring it up anymore.

“Any time!” Jinhwan teased again, squeezing him again before dropping back beside Junhoe.

“So this place we’re going to was their base of operations?” Donghyuk prompted, wanting to get the conversation back on topic.

“Yeah, they ran everything out of here. There were tunnels underneath the house, but they’re all caved in, no one knows where they go. Apparently they led to different caves around the island, coves where they could quickly pull their ships in, unload, and smuggle everything back to the house through the tunnel system.”

“They found a cave with part of the tunnel intact,” Chanwoo interjected, “but they said it seems like someone blew the opening up, what with all the debris in there now.”

“Was it the pirates? Blocking their secrets?” Donghyuk asked, fascinated.

“That’s what popular opinion says, right?” Chanwoo asked Hanbin.

Hanbin nodded. “Unpopular opinion thinks it was the royal army, chasing some of the pirates into the cave and blowing it up to trap them in there.”

“I hope that wasn’t the case! Could you imagine, being stuck in a cave, in the dark with nothing? Just wasting away? What a terrible way to go!” Donghyuk lamented.

“Dude, are you crying over pirates? These guys busted ships and stole a ton of stuff; they killed a lot of people. They don’t deserve your sympathy.” Junhoe said, his tone teasing but still serious.

“Okay so they weren't good people, doesn’t mean they deserved to die in a terrible way.” Donghyuk retorted.

“I didn’t say they did! I just said you shouldn’t be so upset about it,” Junhoe replied defensively.

“Can you two stop bickering? You’re giving me a headache,” Jinhwan reprimanded, grinning at the both of them.

“We’re nearly there hyung, just a bit longer,” Hanbin said, before launching back into an explanation of their underground tunnel system. Ten minutes later they arrived at a small clearing, an old dilapidated house barely standing with trees surrounding the back.

“Whoa, this is it, huh?” Donghyuk looked at the house in awe, surprised it stood after all this time.

Chanwoo stared happily as well; long-repressed excitement surfacing from childhood days spent poring over fables and old pictures. He felt an arm around his shoulders, and suddenly there was Bobby, talking in his ear.

“Chanu-ya, how does it feel?” Bobby’s tone was part teasing, but part excitement.

Chanwoo threw his arm around his brother’s shoulders, appealing to the excitement and not the teasing. “It’s awesome,” he said quietly, but Bobby knew him well enough to know exactly what he was feeling.

Bobby forewent the teasing response he’d intended to go with, and instead he was just happy for his brother. It was a good bonding moment, this whole trip, and Bobby was grateful for it. “I’m happy you’re getting to have your adventure.”

“Me too hyung,” Chanwoo replied, “and I’m happy you came.”

Bobby got a little choked up at Chanwoo’s response, not answering right away. He’d always tried to be a good brother to Chanwoo, and something about his words now made Bobby feel like maybe he’d done a pretty good job of it after all.

“Ah Chanu, you and your grand ideas. Don’t let it get to your head.” Bobby winked at him and ruffled his hair. “Go on, you’ve waited years for this.” Bobby pushed Chanwoo forward to where Hanbin was waiting.

Chanwoo took the lead and walked up toward the house, wide eyes taking it all in. The house still stood, but it was half covered in vegetation, vines coming up over the roof on one side. The front half of the house was still uncovered, though bushes surrounded the front door. Chanwoo paused with his hand on the doorknob, holding his breath while he turned it. It was unlocked, so he pushed the door open, the slow creak of the wood adding to the intensity of the moment. There were no lights inside, but sunlight filtered in through the uncovered front windows. There was a small hole in the ceiling as well, and a beam of light came down from it.

“Still feels exciting every time I come in here,” Hanbin said quietly, standing next to Chanwoo.

“I can see why,” Chanwoo replied, “it’s so cool when you think about what used to go on in here.”

“We’re standing in history itself,” Hanbin said, perceptive eyes looking for any changes since the last time. He knew people came in, but somehow the place had luckily survived against bored teenagers and potential defacement. Instead of big swirls of hideous graffiti you usually saw in abandoned places, if anyone did leave proof of visits they did it small and inconspicuously. In the study by the old brick fireplace is where Hanbin’s dad had left their initials the first time they’d visited, nine years ago. Hanbin always stopped by to trace his finger in the carvings, memories of a happy childhood encased in the letters. His relationship with his dad was strained these days, even if he did still love him. Any chance he had to remember what things had once been like, he’d gladly take.

“Okay nerds, can the rest of us come inside too?” Bobby teased, popping up behind Hanbin and Chanwoo.

“Everyone else can come in, you wait outside!” Hanbin retorted, jokingly glaring at Bobby.

Bobby grinned and grabbed Hanbin by the shoulders, bodily pushing him out of the way. “Too late! I’m in now, you can’t kick me out!” The others filed in after Bobby, and soon they were all surrounding the main table, bags dropped on the floor.

Junhoe flopped down on the couch, sending a spray of dust up into the air. “Gross,” he complained, before swatting a hand against the arm to send more dust up.

Jinhwan slapped his arm. “June-ya, stop it!” He scolded, coughing a second later. Junhoe just laughed and did it again.

“Should we have some food since we’re stopped?” Donghyuk asked, eyes wandering around the room.

“Always stuffing your face, Dong-ie!” Bobby grinned and pinched Donghyuk’s cheek, laughing as the younger boy glared at him.

“Be nice, Bobby!” Yunhyeong scolded before opening his bag and pulling out a bottle of water. All seven found places to sit to engage in a snack, while Hanbin told them another story from the past about the pirate captain, Minhyuk of the Seven Swords.

Once they finished eating they took to exploring the house. Chanwoo and Donghyuk followed Hanbin around, listening to his vast wealth of knowledge about the place. Bobby and Yunhyeong explored on their own, Bobby making up his own ridiculous stories and Yunhyeong laughing about them.

Jinhwan and Junhoe remained in the main room, not all that interested in exploring the house. “So where are we setting up camp for the night, anyway?” Junhoe asked as he traced his name into the dust that topped the table.

“I don’t know, Hanbin has some spot picked out. He’s been here so many times he knows all the good places.” Jinhwan answered, picking up a long clay candle holder.

“What’s good to Hanbin might not be good to us,” Junhoe said, adding the date to his signature.

“Afraid you won’t get your beauty sleep?” Jinhwan teased.

Junhoe laughed. “I’m the last person in this group who needs beauty sleep, it all comes natural!”

Jinhwan groaned and brandished the candle holder like a sword, swatting Junhoe on the shoulder. “Don’t make me stab you!”

“With what? Your candle holder?” Junhoe laughed as Jinhwan waved it in his face.

“Let’s duel! Loser has to carry the other person’s bag for the next portion of the hike!” Jinhwan said, grinning when Junhoe picked up the matching candle holder.

“You’re on, hyung!”

They both brandished the candle holders like swords, laughing as they playfully swatted at each other, careful not to hit too hard lest they break the old pieces of pottery. Junhoe accidentally hit Jinhwan in the face.

“Sorry, hyung!” Junhoe attempted an apology, but could barely get the words out, doubled over in laughter.

“You’re not sorry at all, stop lying!” Jinhwan yelled at him, irritation overtaking him in the moment. He lashed out and hit Junhoe’s shoulder harder than he meant to, cracking the candle holder in the process. He let out a loud gasp as the top portion of it fell, clunking to the ground where it cracked further.

“Shit!” Jinhwan cursed out loud, slapping a hand over his mouth. He hadn’t meant to yell because he didn’t want to attract Hanbin’s attention. The last thing he needed was for Hanbin to lecture him on respecting the old house.

Unfortunately for Jinhwan, Hanbin raced back to where they were. “What was that?” He asked, tone authoritative.

Junhoe and Jinhwan quickly glanced at one another before looking back at Hanbin. “Nothing, Junhoe and I were just playing!” Jinhwan said, cursing Hanbin’s perceptive personality.

“I heard something break, don’t hide it.” Hanbin stood against the wall, arms crossed over his chest.

“It was nothing; I just dropped my water bottle.” Jinhwan lied.

Junhoe, however, was focused on the broken pieces of the candle holder. There appeared to be something sticking out from one end. He slid down to the floor, reaching for the broken piece of clay. His fingers closed over something papery and he slowly pulled it out.

“What are you doing?” Hanbin asked, watching Junhoe. “You guys did break something, I knew it!”

Jinhwan looked down at Junhoe, annoyed at him for giving them away.

Junhoe finished pulling the paper out. “Calm down hyung. Found something that might make your day!” Junhoe unrolled the paper, his eyes going wide.

“What is it?” Hanbin asked, the anger melting from his voice momentarily as he moved towards Junhoe.

“Looks like a map,” Junhoe said, offering the paper to Hanbin, who took it eagerly.

Jinhwan waited as Hanbin studied it, hoping they’d found something interesting enough to make Hanbin forget what they’d done. Hanbin’s smile grew wider as he continued studying, and Jinhwan felt like they were pretty safe.

“Chanu-ya!” Hanbin called out, moving to the table to lay the newfound map out, “come here!”

Chanwoo hurried back into the main room, Donghyuk following closely on his heels. “What is it, hyung?” He asked, stopping to look over Hanbin’s shoulder. “What’s that?”

“Map of some kind,” Hanbin said excitedly, still raking over the details, “I wonder what it’s for.”

“Where did you find it?” Chanwoo asked, looking at it in awe. It certainly looked old, the parchment cracked in some places, but still mostly intact.

“I don’t know,” Hanbin replied, turning to look at Jinhwan and Junhoe, “where did you find it?”

Jinhwan would have preferred to make something up, but Junhoe was a terrible liar. “Jinan hyung and I were messing around and broke a candle holder. The map was inside.” Junhoe held up the broken pieces to show them.

Jinhwan kept his eyes averted as Hanbin processed the news, very much aware that despite finding something, the fact that they had broken something might really upset him still. Jinhwan really didn’t want to get yelled at.

But Hanbin seemed to accept the news well, because he just nodded and returned his attention to the map. Jinhwan breathed a sigh of relief, shooting a relieved look at Junhoe. They were finally rejoined by Bobby and Yunhyeong.

“What were you guys yelling about?” Yunhyeong asked.

“Those two idiots broke a candle holder, but luckily for them there was actually an old map hidden inside.” Hanbin answered, his tone heavy with censure he hadn’t bothered to speak out loud moments ago.

Jinhwan thought they might still get yelled at later.

“What kind of map?” Yunhyeong asked, standing beside Hanbin at the table.

“Pirate treasure map?” Bobby asked sarcastically.

“Laugh all you want, but it might be exactly that,” Hanbin answered, looking over his shoulder at Bobby.

“Really?” Bobby asked with a laugh, joining them at the table. He stood behind Hanbin, looking over his shoulder. He had to admit that the map did look pretty old, but at the same time, people were really good at making reproductions these days. Of course, why someone would make a reproduction and hide it in a candle holder out here was beyond him, but it still seemed more likely than a centuries old map staying hidden all this time.

“Well you dorks have fun studying it!” Bobby said teasingly before moving away to the couch, sitting down next to Jinhwan. Bobby traded looks with Jinhwan, confused at the disappointed look Jinhwan was giving him.

“What do you think hyung? Can we follow it?” Chanwoo asked excitedly, looking at Hanbin.

Hanbin nodded. “Why not, right? It seems simple enough. The directions at first are pretty specific, so we should be okay. It’ll take us off course that we’d already plotted, though. So it’s up to you. Do you want to go see the things that we know are part of the legends, or do you want to take a chance and follow something that might not be real?” Hanbin desperately wanted to believe that the map was real, wanted to believe that they’d found something new. But this trip was for Chanwoo, so it was only right to let him decide.

“Are you kidding me, hyung?” Chanwoo exclaimed, surprise in his voice. “There’s only one thing we can do.” Chanwoo paused to look around the room, the smile on his face enormous and excited.

“We follow the map.”


	3. A Hole In The Ground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Destination #1: an underground waterfall?

“Stop!” Chanwoo called out, having reached step number two hundred. This was the third and final step counting portion of the map’s instructions, which was supposed to be leading them to some kind of waterfall. The only problem, though, was that despite hearing the sound of falling water, there was clearly no waterfall in sight. There wasn’t even a river or stream--nothing that indicated where the water was coming from.

“Are you guys sure you followed those directions right?” Junhoe asked, annoyed that they seemed to be chasing after nothing. “Maybe the starting point was wrong.”

“It wasn’t,” Hanbin stated, standing still and staring around. “The waterfall is here, somewhere, because we can hear it.”

“Maybe the step count is off. Maybe whoever made the map was tiny like Jinhwan,” Yunhyeong suggested.

“But we can hear it,” Chanwoo said, in agreement with Hanbin. They were clearly in the right place--but the waterfall itself must be hidden somewhere. “Is it under us?”

“What, in the ground?” Bobby asked with a laugh. “An underground waterfall, really?”

“A cavern,” Hanbin said, eyes roaming over the landscape, “maybe there’s an entrance to an underground cavern!”

“You think so?” Chanwoo asked, excited eyes also looking around. To the left, the way they’d come, the ground was fairly flat with trees. But to the right the ground sloped downward and further away the soil became rock. The island was riddled with natural caves, so finding a secret entrance to a cavern wouldn’t be too crazy.

“It has to be,” Hanbin answered, lying down on the grass to press his ear to the ground, “it sounds louder like this!” Chanwoo followed suit, pressing his ear down and finding that Hanbin was right. It did sound louder from the ground. The waterfall had to be underneath them!

“How do we find the entrance?” Donghyuk asked, really to follow along with whatever plan Hanbin came up with.

“We should comb the area to the right where it starts to slope.” Hanbin pointed out before giving them instructions on which areas to look at.

“This is stupid,” Junhoe complained, but one annoyed look from Hanbin had him participating anyway. He followed Jinhwan, walking in the opposite direction from Hanbin and Donghyuk.

“Why are you complaining? How many people get to go on a real life treasure hunt?” Jinhwan teased Junhoe.

Junhoe rolled his eyes and walked without paying attention to their surroundings. “You don’t actually believe we found a real treasure map, do you?”

“I don’t know, it looked legit,” Jinhwan said, “and we found it rolled up in that old candle holder! Isn’t that usually how people find treasure maps? They break something?”

“Yeah in movies,” Junhoe replied, “this isn’t a movie. That sort of stuff doesn’t happen in real life.”

“Oh stop being so grumpy,” Jinhwan said, “They’re all cute and excited! If you ruin this for Chanwoo we might all kill you.”

“Relax!” Junhoe whined, “I’m not ruining anything! I just think it’s kind of dumb to be expecting to find some kind of secret entrance to some underground cave.”

“What’s dumb about that? It’s not unheard of,” Jinhwan countered, “or are you just scared to go in when we find it?”

Junhoe fixed Jinhwan with an annoyed glare. “I am not afraid of caves! I don’t like them, but I’m not scared.”

“Sure you’re not,” Jinhwan teased, but any further remarks were interrupted by Donghyuk.

“Over here!” Donghyuk yelled, jumping up excitedly. “There’s an opening here!” Donghyuk was at the far end of the line, where the hill had turned into rock covered in a tangle of tree roots. There was a small opening at the base of the rock wall, big enough for a person to fit through if they crawled.

Hanbin, who’d been nearest to Donghyuk, arrived first. He knelt for a moment as the others came over, unzipping the outer portion of his bag until he found a flashlight. “I’m going to check it out.” He approached the opening, only for Bobby to reach out and grab his arm.

“Are you crazy? Be careful, you don't know what might be in there!” Bobby was not keen on any of them squirming their way into a hole in the rock, while Hanbin looked ready to throw himself into any opening he could find.

“Relax, I’ll be careful,” Hanbin said with a grin, “this isn’t the first hole I’ve plundered.” He winked at Bobby before flashing his light into the darkness and leaning his head in.

“What do you see, hyung?” Chanwoo asked, kneeling by Hanbin. This was already proving to be the adventure he’d been hoping for.

Hanbin shone the flashlight around, taking in the scene. He’d have to crawl for a few feet, but there was definitely a wider opening at the end. “It looks safe enough, but wait until I tell you to follow.” Hanbin slid his body into the opening, leaving his backpack outside. It was tight, but once he crawled through the short tunnel, it opened up into the cavern he’d expected. They were up on a wide ledge, about four feet above a pool of water. Just as the map suggested, there was a waterfall at the end. Hanbin couldn’t believe his eyes. 

“Hanbin? Are you okay?” Bobby called worriedly behind him, having lost sight of him. “Hanbin-ah!” Just when Bobby was about to go after him, Hanbin’s face popped into view from the end of the tunnel, excitedly split in a smile.

“This is amazing! You guys have to come in and see this!” He yelled out before disappearing into the darkness again.

Chanwoo moved to go in after him but was blocked by Bobby’s arm. “You can wait here until I check things out first,” Bobby told him, not swayed by Chanwoo’s groan of irritation. “Honestly if anything happens to you, mom will flay my ass! Wait two minutes.” Bobby got on his knees to crawl in after Hanbin, though he wasn’t exactly looking forward to it. Bobby wouldn’t exactly call himself claustrophobic, but he was essentially crawling into the ground.

“Actually the rest of you wait out here too! I think someone a little less reckless should check things out first.” Leaving his bag beside Hanbin’s, Bobby gripped his flashlight tightly and squeezed through the entrance. It was a tight fit and it kind of felt like he was passing into a whole other world, but once he was through it was actually pretty breathtaking (still terrifying, though).

He shone his light around, quickly finding Hanbin not far, perched on a ledge above the water. Bobby carefully made his way over, flashlight on Hanbin. “Feels safer than I thought it would,” Bobby said, trying his best to sound like he knew what he was talking about.

Hanbin saw right thought it though and fixed him with a grin. “You’ve never been caving before, have you?”

Bobby wondered if exploring caves was another rich pass time Hanbin had grown up with. “I tend to stay out of the ground, actually.”

Hanbin grinned and flashed his light into the water. “I went caving a lot when I lived in the US, but this is pretty special.”

Question answered. “Is this normal?” Bobby asked, shining his light at the waterfall.

“It’s more uncommon than not normal, I’d say,” Hanbin answered, turning to look at Bobby. “Like it’s not weird, you just don't see it that often. It’s cool though, right?” The excitement in Hanbin’s voice was contagious and Bobby almost felt like jumping in the water right then and there to show Hanbin that he wasn’t terrified.

Except that he was terrified. “Yeah, if you like enclosed spaces that are difficult to get into,” he half-joked.

“Don’t worry, if I sense that we might get a cave-in, I’ll let you know in time.” Hanbin winked at him.

“In time for what?” Bobby asked, even though he felt pretty certain that he didn’t really want to hear Hanbin’s answer.

“In time for you to tell Chanwoo that you love him, before we get buried in the earth!” Hanbin couldn’t resist the joke. He’d spent enough time exploring underground caves to feel completely at ease. He’d been terrified too his first time (and second time, and third time) but he’d forgotten that now in the face of his excitement.

Bobby closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Not funny, Hanbin!”

Hanbin laughed and grabbed Bobby’s arm. “Oh come on! Don’t tell me you’re afraid?”

“Don’t be an idiot,” Bobby replied, fully aware of how fake he probably sounded. He’d been fine until Hanbin had said the word buried, then everything had gone to hell in his brain.

Hanbin just grinned and started taking off his shoes. “I assure you, I am not an idiot. I’m an experienced caver!” With both shoes and socks off, Hanbin laid his shining flashlight next to his shoes and stood up on the ledge.

“What are you doing?” Bobby asked worriedly.

“Jumping in,” Hanbin replied, challenging gaze on Bobby. Hanbin didn’t know if Bobby would take the bait, but he really hoped he would. Even though he had a boyfriend and he was quite happy with him, Hanbin couldn’t help the crush he’d developed on Bobby. He justified it in his mind, though, comfortable in the fact that Bobby was (at least as far as Hanbin knew) 100% straight. There was no harm in flirting with him (or fantasizing about him).

Bobby’s mouth dropped open in shock--Hanbin wasn’t serious, was he? “Are you sure that’s safe?” He asked, concern colouring his tone.

“Completely safe,” Hanbin replied, “so safe I’m almost not excited for it.”

Just as Bobby was about to reply, Hanbin hopped off the ledge, plunging feet first into the water. Bobby couldn’t help it--he yelled for him and waited for Hanbin to resurface, playing the beam of his flashlight over the spot where Hanbin had plunged in. When he did come back up, laughing (and looking way too attractive, in Bobby’s opinion) Bobby was flooded with relief. Two seconds later and he was irritated at how dangerous it had been (he blamed it on being an older brother to a reckless Chanwoo).

Hanbin had noticed the concern in Bobby’s eyes, but he also saw the irritation. That gave him two options for getting Bobby in the water with him--and he put his plans in motion. Keeping his eyes on Bobby, Hanbin suddenly flailed in the water, thrashing his right leg around.

“Hanbin!” Bobby yelled, falling for the trap like a sucker. “What’s wrong?!”

Even though the water in this part of the pool was barely chest-deep, Hanbin had sunk down to his neck for effect. “My foot’s stuck in the rocks!” He yelled his tone slightly hysterical. “Fuck, it hurts!”

“Stay calm!” Bobby replied, cursing himself for not stopping Hanbin from jumping in. “I’m gonna go get Jinani!” Bobby knew his strengths, and as much as he liked swimming, he didn’t know the first thing about this sort of situation. But Jinhwan worked as a lifeguard part-time at the community pool, so Bobby was sure he’d know what to do.

Hanbin watched Bobby carefully get up, resorting to plan B. “Bobby!” He shrieked in panic, diving under the water. He carefully crawled along the bottom of the pool until he reached the wall, slowly resurfacing beyond the light of Bobby’s flashlight.

Bobby looked back when he heard Hanbin yell, panic settling over him when he no longer saw him. “Hanbin-ah!!” Bobby yelled loudly, seconds away from diving in when suddenly he was hit with a big splash of water. He stood, rooted to the spot and dripping, eyes on a hysterically laughing Hanbin.

“I’m fine, you idiot!” Hanbin yelled amidst laughter, splashing Bobby again. That did the trick.

Bobby couldn’t believe him! He toed his sneakers off, angry eyes on Hanbin. “You asshole! I’m gonna drown you myself!” Without a second thought Bobby splashed into the water, reaching for a still laughing Hanbin, who made no move to pull away.

Hanbin squirmed when Bobby grabbed him, but only for effect. He quite happily let Bobby put him in a headlock, pretending to pull him under the water. Hanbin still laughed.

“I can’t believe you’d do that to me!” Bobby yelled, arms wrapped tight around Hanbin. “That was so mean! I thought you were drowning!”

Hanbin felt a tiny prickling of guilt cloud his head, because Bobby did sound upset with him. But he’d been fantasizing about Bobby’s arms for months and now that they were wrapped tightly around him, Hanbin could barely think about anything else. “Sorry!” He yelled, though it was obvious from his tone of voice that he didn’t mean it. 

Bobby had moved past worry and was firmly annoyed with Hanbin now. Once a few seconds passed and his brain processed how they were currently standing (Bobby holding on to Hanbin tightly, and Hanbin not making any move to get away) his body reacted in the most irritating way, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. He wondered if Hanbin could feel it, pressed against him. He tried to cover it though by chastising him again. “Don’t do that to me!”

Hanbin smiled when he felt Bobby’s arms tighten around him, not put off in the slightest by his angry tone. Hanbin was used to being yelled at for doing reckless things—it was almost kind of a rush, knowing that someone he liked was that worried about him. Maybe he ought to feel like a bit of a jerk for getting so excited over another guy holding him, though, but Hanbin couldn’t help himself. He loved Minho—really, he did—but he also had a huge crush on Bobby. Besides, like he kept telling himself, Bobby was a safe fantasy, because nothing would ever happen between them.

“What are you guys doing?!” Came the annoyed yell of Jinhwan, who had crawled in to look for them.

Bobby dropped his arms, looking at Jinhwan with a slightly guilty expression. He’d kind of forgotten about the others for a moment. “Um, sorry! Hanbin--”

“My fault!” Hanbin interrupted him, wading closer to Jinhwan. “Tell the others to come in, it’s safe!”

Jinhwan just shook his head, though in reality he was pleased with what he was seeing. Despite being friends with all of Hanbin’s rich friends (and having been around to witness Hanbin and Minho’s relationship from day one) Jinhwan had noticed the growing attraction between Hanbin and Bobby. Even though he liked Minho, he thought Hanbin would be better off moving on.

“You guys are both idiots!” Jinhwan yelled before heading back to the entrance, relaying the invitation to the others.

Chanwoo was ready and waiting, excited to go in. He stopped when Junhoe stated that he was going to stay outside.

“Are you serious?” Chanwoo asked, frowning at him.

Junhoe stared at him with an annoyed look. “Yeah! If you want to go crawling through a hole in the ground, be my guest. I’ll stay out here. After all, someone needs to stick around to tell your families how stupid you are if you get buried inside.”

“Junhoe, you can’t stay out here by yourself, you’ll miss out!” Donghyuk hated the thought of leaving anyone behind.

“Miss out on what? Water?” Junhoe asked sarcastically.

“You don’t have to be afraid, Hanbin hyung said it’s safe!” Chanwoo chimed in, ready to tease Junhoe into agreement if he had to.

“I’m not scared!” Junhoe replied defensively.

Yunhyeong laid a hand on his arm. “How long have we known you? You’re terrified, you hate enclosed spaces.”

Junhoe shrugged him off. “I am not scared of going in there; I just think it’s stupid. Besides, I don’t want to get dirty.”

“What a princess,” Chanwoo teased, wondering if they ought to send Jinhwan out to talk Junhoe into joining them.

“Oh come on, June-ya! You can’t stay out here by yourself; we’re supposed to do this together.” Yunhyeong pleaded.

“Save your breath, hyung, I’m not going in.” Junhoe stated firmly. “Hurry up and go before Bobby and Hanbin hurt themselves. I’ll stay here with our stuff.”

Chanwoo sighed and turned to the opening, crouching down to start crawling through. The sound of rushing water was louder as he crawled in further, which made him feel more excited. Chanwoo loved waterfalls, thought they were awesome. He’d never been able to get that close to one, though. But there was supposed to be something hidden near this one. Of course that didn’t mean Bobby would actually let him do any of the looking, but Chanwoo would take what he could get.

He clicked his flashlight on as he neared the end of the short tunnel, sticking his head out and taking in the cavern. It was shockingly large, and he couldn’t believe he’d been standing right above this!

“Chanu, move your ass!” Came Donghyuk’s yell from behind him, and Chanwoo quickly clambered out from the tunnel, standing up in the cavern. He saw Jinhwan sitting on a ledge by himself and quickly walked over to join him.

“Hey hyung, where’s--” his question was cut off by a massive splash of water, followed by the ringing laughter of Hanbin and Bobby.

“Ugh, you weren’t supposed to get me too!” Jinhwan yelled, kicking his foot at Hanbin’s face.

Hanbin easily dodged. “Sorry, my aim is terrible!”

Chanwoo grinned and sat down next to Jinhwan. “This is awesome!” He yelled out, eyes on the waterfall at the other side of the pool. The only light was from their flashlights, which gave everything a slightly eerie vibe.

“This is so cool; I can’t believe Junhoe’s missing out!” Donghyuk said, sitting next to Chanwoo.

“Is he not coming in?” Jinhwan asked, a look of disappointment on his face.

“No, he didn’t want to get dirty.” Chanwoo sarcastically answered.

Jinhwan nodded. “His usual excuse when he’s scared.” They waited until Yunhyeong joined them, confirming that Junhoe was staunchly refusing to come in.

When the six of them were together, Hanbin and Bobby in the water at their feet, Hanbin corralled them into what they were actually here for. “Okay so, down at the waterfall there’s supposed to be a secret compartment in the wall. I’m gonna go check it out.”

“I want to come!” Chanwoo said, ready to jump in after him.

“No way!” Bobby yelled, “You stay up there.”

“Oh come on, hyung!” Chanwoo whined, not surprised.

“Nope, I’ll go with Hanbin, there’s no sense in anyone else getting wet.”

Chanwoo directed a glare at Bobby. “You used to be fun, what happened to you?”

Bobby glared back. “I let you jump off the roof four years ago and you broke your leg, remember? Mom almost killed me then, I’m not repeating that!”

“Four years ago, hyung! I was a stupid kid!”

“You’re still a stupid kid!”

“Both of you shut up!” Jinhwan cut in, always the mediator. “Sorry Chanu, but Bobby has a point. Since they’re already in, we’ll let them go over.” Jinhwan focused on the two in the water. “You guys be careful! I’ll be watching, if you get in trouble wave your arms! Hold on to each other, okay? You don’t know what the water will be like over there.”

“We will, mom,” Hanbin teased, not too worried.

“I’m serious, Hanbin! Be careful!” Jinhwan almost didn’t want to let him go. Hanbin was pretty responsible, but he still had a reckless streak that worried Jinhwan.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful!” Bobby promised Jinhwan. There was no way he’d let anything happen to Hanbin.

Jinhwan met Bobby’s eyes and saw the promise in them, nodding his agreement. He watched as the two made their way closer to the waterfall, which was about fifteen feet away from them. Still far enough for him to feel nervous. They should have tied rope around the two.

“I can’t believe we’re letting them do this,” Yunhyeong said, sitting down next to Jinhwan, “this definitely ranks up there in terms of stupid things we do as a group.”

Jinhwan grinned and flashed his light around. “Oh does it ever. Definitely a bad decision, but I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

“I wish I shared your optimism.” Yunhyeong replied, eyes on the pair. At least they seemed to be going about it carefully, going slowly and holding hands.

“I just hope they find whatever it is they’re supposed to find. If anything is even there,” Jinhwan said, wondering if maybe they were chasing nothing more than lucky coincidence. He knew Bobby didn’t really care about what they were doing (only his crush on Hanbin even had him in the water right now) but Hanbin wouldn’t let it go so quickly if he couldn’t find whatever the map wanted them to find.

Hanbin had always been a little spoiled, as far back as Jinhwan could remember. Not that he could blame him, because Hanbin’s parents had doted on him like their lives depended on it. He still worked hard for his goals, but things had always somehow ended up going perfectly in Hanbin’s life. If they entered a contest and the winner was randomly picked, it was always Hanbin’s name that was called. If they went to a concert and stuff was thrown into the audience, something would always get thrown to Hanbin. It had annoyed Jinhwan as a child, because Hanbin already had so much. But even though Hanbin was inherently lucky that way, he was still generous, and every time he won something he’d always been quick to share it with Jinhwan or even give it to him outright.

But Hanbin was used to things going as expected, and this was something Hanbin had held in high importance since he was a kid. Jinhwan was concerned about how he’d take it if this map was nothing but a fake leading them on a wild goose chase.

Even though he wanted to be out in the water with Hanbin, Chanwoo was still content to be sitting here in the cavern, in the heart of adventure. This was exactly the sort of thing he’d been wanting from this weekend, the sort of adventure you’d watch friends get into in a movie. But he was living it.

“What do you think is hidden in here?” Donghyuk asked, leaning over closer to Chanwoo.

“I don’t know,” Chanwoo answered, though he was curious too. “Maybe something to help us find the treasure?”

“Maybe it’ll be a key for a treasure chest!” Donghyuk said, and Chanwoo thought that was a good possibility too.

“I just hope it’s still here! Do you think this place has ever flooded?”

Donghyuk shrugged. “I don’t know, do you think it would flood? Like wouldn’t the water drain out before it got too high?”

“Maybe,” Chanwoo shined his light on the wall, though it didn’t really tell him much. It was wet, of course, but he didn’t know the first thing about rock to know if there were any signs or previous floods.

“Oh, look! I think they might have found something!” Donghyuk grabbed Chanwoo’s arm suddenly, and Chanwoo focused his attention on his brother and Hanbin.

Hanbin played his flashlight over the rock, eyes wide in disbelief. “I can’t believe there’s actually a carving here!” He exclaimed, fingers tightening around Bobby’s hand in excitement. Of course they were only holding hands for safety’s sake, but it still made Hanbin’s heart flutter just slightly. Bobby wasn’t being weird about it, at least.

“A bit high up though,” Bobby replied, knowing that neither of them would be able to reach it on their own.

Hanbin looked at Bobby, hoping he wasn’t going to be irrationally protective. “Boost me up so I can get a closer look?” Hanbin asked. He could technically climb up on the rocks, but he didn't think Bobby would be keen on that. Besides, this way he’d get to be closer to Bobby.

Bobby was wary about the idea. If he slipped and fell, the chances of them both getting injured were pretty high. Bobby knew he ought to be more concerned about the potential for his own injury, but he couldn't help but be concerned about potentially hurting Hanbin. He met his gaze though and knew he was in trouble.

“Fine,” Bobby answered, physically unable to say no. “How should we do this?”

“Lift me up on your shoulders,” Hanbin answered with a grin, “that should be enough height.”

Bobby nodded, thankful for his intense football training. He knew he’d be able to lift Hanbin up without a problem. He passed his flashlight to him before grabbing Hanbin’s hips, holding his breath and kneeling down by Hanbin until he could slip his head through Hanbin’s legs.

Hanbin kept one hand on the rock wall for balance, the other on Bobby’s head. Bobby easily stood up with Hanbin’s extra weight on his shoulders like it was nothing. Hanbin loved strong, athletic guys, and Bobby was so his type in that regard. It almost made it a little hard to concentrate on the task at hand.

Bobby stood in front of the waterfall, easily balancing Hanbin even as water sprayed in his face. He kept both of his hands on Hanbin’s legs. “Do you need me to move?” Bobby yelled at him, hoping Hanbin could hear him over the water.

“To the right a bit,” Hanbin yelled back, eyes scanning the wall for the carved out hole. The map had given instruction to put your hand into the hole, but it hadn’t said what was supposed to be there. Hanbin hoped there was something. If he came away empty handed he wasn’t sure he'd be able to cope.

The hole wasn’t empty, though. His fingers brushed over something cool and hard, and he slowly pulled the object out.

It was a small statue. Hanbin played the light of his flashlight over the piece, grinning when he saw that it was a carving of a parrot. Definitely pirate treasure! There was also a number carved into the belly. This was exactly what the map wanted them to find, he was sure of it! Hanbin kept a firm grip on the statue as he tapped Bobby’s head. “Got it! Let’s go back!”

Bobby wondered what Hanbin had found, surprised there had actually been something there. He’d assumed the map wasn’t legit, and was sure everything had been coincidental so far. But Hanbin found something that had him excited, so Bobby was excited too. He kept Hanbin on his shoulders as he walked back towards the others, confident in his footing in the water. It would probably be safer if he put Hanbin down, but Bobby wasn’t ready to relinquish him yet.

Hanbin grinned on their slow walk back, holding the statue safely in one hand while he held a flashlight in the other. He looked back at the others, focusing on Chanwoo and waving the statue at him.

Chanwoo stared at Hanbin’s hand, wondering what he was holding. Based on the excited look on Hanbin’s face it had to be something special. Chanwoo could barely stop himself from jumping in the water to go and check, eager for proof that the map was legit.

Bobby carefully made his way to the others, grinning when he reached the ledge where they all sat waiting. Jinhwan called to them first.

“Can you go a day without showing off how strong you are, Bobby?” Jinhwan teased.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Bobby grinned, reaching out to grab the ledge as he stopped.

“There’s nothing wrong with Bobby showing off,” Hanbin cheekily cut in, “don’t be jealous because you’re weak.”

“Watch yourself, Hanbin-ah! Still strong enough to push you off his shoulders!” Jinhwan replied, reaching out to grab Hanbin’s knee.

“Hyung, stop! Let me hand off our treasure first, at least!” Hanbin pleaded, legs tightening around Bobby’s torso. Hanbin reached out, waving the statue in Chanwoo’s direction. “Chanu-ya! Get a load of this!”

Chanwoo reached out, eagerly taking the figurine from Hanbin’s hand. His mouth was wide as he studied it, surprised at what they’d found. It was better than what he’d been expecting, even! He was curious about what they would need it for and wanted to get out into the sun where they could examine it in better detail.

With the treasure safely handed off (and the flashlight passed over as well) Bobby wasn’t content with just letting Hanbin climb off safely. He waded back out to where the water was a bit deeper, grinning when Hanbin nervously asked him what he was doing.

“Just having a little fun!” Bobby called out, perfectly at ease now in the cave’s pool. Without warning he fell back, dumping Hanbin in the water.

Hanbin couldn’t help but scream when Bobby dropped him, coming back up spluttering but laughing. With no warning he pounced on Bobby, hitting him with his full weight and dragging Bobby down under the surface. But Bobby was stronger and soon enough it was Hanbin being dragged around, arms flailing against Bobby.

“This is payment for earlier!” Bobby said amidst laughter, arms tight around Hanbin as he splashed water in his face.

“Payment?!” Hanbin spluttered, “For what? You dropped me first!”

“I mean when you pranked me earlier! You never properly apologized!” Bobby grinned, finally relenting and letting Hanbin stand up.

“I apologized!” Hanbin whined, still standing close to Bobby despite not being held down anymore.

“It was a fake apology! I want a real one!” Bobby demanded.

Hanbin was breathing hard from the exertion and their laughter, and he wanted to lean forward and kiss Bobby so bad right now. He somehow managed to restrain himself, even while looking into Bobby’s eyes in the darkness, their faces barely visible. This would be such a perfect spot for a kiss. He bit his cheek to keep himself from following through.

“I’m not good at apologizing,” Hanbin jokingly said, “because I’m not used to being wrong.”

Bobby grinned back at him. “Try it for me?”

Hanbin wanted to say that he'd try anything for Bobby, but he managed to keep himself in check. “Okay fine,” he relented, pouting at having to apologize. “I’m sorry for scaring you earlier.”

Bobby grinned at Hanbin’s apology--it was glaringly fake, but he wasn’t really concerned about an apology. He just wanted a reason to stare into Hanbin’s eyes for a bit. “Apology accepted.”

Hanbin laughed and splashed water in Bobby’s face before bounding away back to the others, desperate to put a bit of distance between them before he started acting on his fantasies. This attraction was getting a bit out of hand, and he needed to calm himself down. You have a boyfriend, Hanbin, stop flirting with Bobby! Maybe if he repeated the reminder a few times, his body would remember.

Bobby shook the water out of his hair before following Hanbin back, pleased with his decision at the end. Maybe it was a little reckless, messing around in the cave, because injury was still possible at any turn. But the way Hanbin had smiled through it all had Bobby feeling beyond reckless, eager to do anything to see Hanbin light up. There had definitely been tension there between them at the end, the kind you felt when someone was debating whether to lean forward and kiss you. Bobby knew there was the possibility that he was reading more into Hanbin’s actions than what actually existed, but he really hoped he wasn’t.

Bobby came up behind Hanbin, who was standing by the ledge, looking for a foothold in order to boost himself back up out of the water. Bobby couldn’t resist the opportunity.

“Need a little help?” Bobby asked, hands on Hanbin’s waist.

Hanbin tensed at the intimate contact, not having expected it. He struggled to keep the smile off his face, because Jinhwan was staring at him. “Yeah, sure!” He replied to Bobby, surprised when Bobby lifted him, moving his hands from Hanbin’s waist to his ass to boost him up. Hanbin really hoped Jinhwan wasn’t still staring because he was certain he was probably blushing. He pulled himself up onto the rock next to Jinhwan, sitting back and breathing hard. Bobby easily lifted himself out of the water on his own, and Hanbin couldn’t stop staring at him through it all.

“Enjoyed that, did you?” Came Jinhwan’s voice in Hanbin’s ear, and Hanbin was blushing all over again.

“Yeah, we found the next piece of the map’s puzzle,” Hanbin answered, though he knew that wasn’t what Jinhwan had been talking about.

“I know what I saw,” Jinhwan teased, “you’re being unusually cute.”

“Shut up, hyung!” Hanbin whined back, his eyes on Bobby once more, who was following Yunhyeong out of the cavern. It was only Hanbin and Jinhwan left.

“Deny it all you want, Binnie, you had hearts in your eyes!” Jinhwan teased again.

“I mean it, shut up! And don’t call me that.” Hanbin whined again, playfully hitting Jinhwan in the shoulder.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell your boyfriend that you’re flirting with his biggest rival,” Jinhwan couldn’t let it go, laughing when Hanbin turned to hit him again.

“Hyung! You’re being seriously annoying, stop it.” Hanbin grabbed his socks and shoes, crouching down to crawl back out into the sun. At least it was sunny enough that his clothes would dry out quickly.

Jinhwan let Hanbin go, enough teasing for now. He looked around the inside of the cave before leaving, picking up Bobby’s forgotten shoes and Hanbin’s flashlight.


	4. I Would Walk 500 Miles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conversations en route to their next destination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a bit of a note about Hanbin's past (story-only obviously): he spent 2 years in the US studying at an exclusive/top rated private boys' school (when he was 14/15) before deciding to move back to Korea with his family. I mention this now because it comes up in this chapter (when he talks about his very first boyfriend).
> 
> Also worthy of note—one of the boys has a girlfriend! Another is trying to get himself a girlfriend! Just wanted to bring that up in advance so no one is too shocked.

“Thank God the sun is out,” Bobby remarked, pulling off his wet t-shirt and draping it over a rock, “hold on—where are my shoes?”

“Right here, dummy!” Jinhwan replied, emerging from the cavern entrance holding Bobby’s shoes.

“You’re so good to me, Jinani!” Bobby fixed Jinhwan with a bright smile, taking the offered sneakers and socks.

“Don’t mention it!” Jinhwan replied in a sarcastically cheery voice, before tucking Hanbin’s flashlight back into his pack. Hanbin was currently sitting in the grass next to Chanwoo and Donghyuk, all three scrutinizing the statue they’d recovered.

Before pulling on his shoes Bobby took off his shorts, hanging them on the rock next to his shirt, standing now in only his boxers. He hated being in wet clothes, and clearly they’d be sitting here for a while to study the statue Hanbin had found, which gave his clothes ample time to dry in the sun.

“Ugh, seriously, Bobby?” Junhoe groaned. “Put your clothes back on.”

“They’re wet!” Bobby retorted, “I’m drying them.”

Hanbin, who hadn’t bothered wasting time removing his own wet clothes and had instead gone straight to Chanwoo and Donghyuk, glanced up at Junhoe’s comment and couldn’t help but stare at Bobby, who was half-naked and glistening in the sun. This was the absolute last thing he needed at the moment! He stared for another few seconds while Bobby’s attention was on Junhoe before finally focusing back on the map that Chanwoo had laid out.

“Hyung, stop staring at my brother,” Chanwoo joked, whispering the words to Hanbin so no one else would hear.

Hanbin blushed at Chanwoo’s comment. _Great!_ This was the _second time_ Chanwoo had called him out on staring at Bobby. On one hand, Hanbin was grateful that Chanwoo didn’t seem to mind that Hanbin found his older brother attractive. On the other hand, Hanbin really didn’t want anyone to know he was attracted to Bobby, and now with both Chanwoo and Jinhwan seeing through him, he felt like maybe he was in for a bit of trouble.

“Okay, I have the destination plotted out, I think?” Donghyuk spoke up. Part of the next clue had involved coordinates they’d found inscribed on the statue, and Donghyuk had just finished plotting them.

Hanbin leaned over to check it out, but dripped water over the map. “Sorry!” He sat back hurriedly, not wanting to damage the parchment.

“You should just do like Bobby and hang your clothes out, they’ll dry faster,” Donghyuk recommended.

Hanbin nodded, though he really wasn’t in any sort of rush to take his clothes off at the moment, which was kind of stupid, because they’d all gone swimming together before. It wasn’t even that he was self-conscious about his body (he had a good frame, well-toned and just muscular enough). He just thought it was a bad idea with Bobby around.

But his priority at the moment had to be on the map, so he quickly peeled off his wet t-shirt, hanging it on a low lying branch in the sun. He hung his shorts next to it, but like Bobby, kept his boxers on. He hurried back to join the other two at the map, pointedly not looking at anyone else. He focused on Donghyuk’s plotted destination.

“How far is it from us?” Chanwoo asked.

“Looks like it’s quite the hike,” Donghyuk answered, “what do you think, hyung? Three hours?”

Hanbin nodded. “Probably, depending on terrain; I think that area is mostly woods, though? It’s near the beach; I’ve walked around in the woods over there a lot.”

“The nice beach?” Donghyuk asked excitedly.

“One of them,” Hanbin answered, “This is probably the beach you’re thinking of? It’s the one most people go to.” He pointed to an area further away from where they were going. “But this one is lesser known,” he pointed at the one the coordinates had them heading for, “it’s harder to get to from the public access points. We ended up going the opposite way that most people go when they come here, so it won’t be so bad for us, just a long hike. But there’s a river that separates it from the main path, with no bridge. So people mostly just get to it by boat.”

“Oh, is that where you used to go party last year?” Donghyuk asked, and Hanbin nodded.

“Yeah, we used to take a yacht over at least twice a month, build a bonfire and hang out.” He hadn’t come to the island with his old friends in a while. Minho kept inviting him, but it was usually when Hanbin’s mother was working, and he’d have to stay home to watch Hanbyul.

“Must have been so nice, going out on a boat whenever you wanted!” Donghyuk commented.

“It was.” Hanbin answered, trying hard not to frown. He knew Donghyuk hadn’t said anything with the intent of making him feel bad, but thinking about the situation just made his heart ache. But this treasure map was making up for all the lost opportunities of late, especially since he had people who were just as excited over it as he was. If he'd found a treasure map with his old friends, they'd have laughed it off.

“Did you guys figure out where we’re going next?” Yunhyeong asked, coming over to join them.

“Yeah, we have to hike over to the other side of the island, pretty much!” Donghyuk answered, pointing to the location on the map.

“Are you sure that’s right?” Yunhyeong knelt down to look at the map. “It’s so far away!”

“Of course it is! I know how to plot points on a map!” Donghyuk angrily replied, insulted at being second guessed.

“I wasn’t saying you don’t!” Yunhyeong said, “It’s just always good to double check.”

“We double checked it,” Chanwoo confirmed, before beginning to check it a third time just for Yunhyeong’s sake.

Jinhwan sank down onto the grass next to Bobby, who was lying on his stomach, head pillowed on his arms. “Refreshing little swim?” He teased.

Bobby looked up at him and grinned. “You could say that.”

“You two make a good team,” Jinhwan commented, head propped up on his hand.

Bobby shrugged and laid his head back on his arm, trying not to smile too widely. “Yeah, I guess we do. I can’t believe we were in there, though.”

“No kidding! I thought you’d put up more of a struggle instead of following Hanbin in right away.” Jinhwan kept staring at Bobby, a knowing smirk on his face.

Bobby turned his head to keep Jinhwan from seeing the blush that had irritatingly come to his cheeks. “I was just worried about him doing something reckless.”

“Of course you were,” Jinhwan replied, “nothing wrong with that.” He waited for Bobby’s response, and when none came he grinned. “You’re such a caring hyung to the kids, Bobby!”

“Shut up.” Bobby replied, but there was no fire behind his voice.

“I’m hungry, I’m eating!” Junhoe interrupted as he came to sit next to Jinhwan, reaching over to pinch Bobby’s leg. “Would you put some clothes on already, I’m going blind.”

Jinhwan grinned and glanced at Junhoe. “Why do you keep looking at him? Like what you see?” Jinhwan laughed at the disgusted look on Junhoe’s face, while Bobby propped himself up on his elbows to turn his head in Junhoe’s direction.

“Don’t be jealous of my abs,” Bobby teased, rolling over and rubbing his hand over his chest, “or my pecs!”

Junhoe rolled his eyes as he watched Bobby. “I could get a body like yours any time I wanted one,” he replied; “You’ll never get a face like mine, though, no matter how much plastic surgery you have.”

“Junhoe!” Jinhwan yelled, leaning over to smack him.

“You are so lucky I’m so lazy right now,” Bobby replied, grinning at Junhoe.

Junhoe grinned back before rifling through his pack for some food. “Threaten me all you want, hyung, you’re still ugly.”

“That’s okay, mom told me I’m pretty on the inside, and that’s all that matters!” Bobby replied before reaching for his own bag to get some food. “I might still beat you up later anyway when I get up.”

“Bring it, hyung!” Junhoe shot back, never intimidated by Bobby’s joking threats.

“God, the two of you,” Jinhwan sighed, “I feel like I’m babysitting without getting paid.”

Bobby and Junhoe laughed, truce momentarily called while they teased Jinhwan together.

~

“That’s an awfully big hole in that tree,” Donghyuk said, crouching down in front of it, “Who do you think lives in there?”

“Snakes!” Junhoe replied, patting Donghyuk’s head as he moved around him.

“Do you think so?” Donghyuk asked worriedly, moving back.

“No he doesn’t, he’s just being an ass.” Bobby said.

“It could be snakes, you don’t know!” Junhoe retorted.

“I wish it was a snake!” Chanwoo added, stopping beside Donghyuk.

“What? Are you crazy? Snakes are terrifying!” Donghyuk replied. He wasn’t a fan of reptiles to begin with, but he’d always been terrified of snakes.

“There aren’t any snakes on the island,” Hanbin answered, “it’s probably a skunk den.”

Donghyuk hopped to his feet and moved quickly away from the tree, everyone following. Hanbin alone remained, grinning to himself. He’d been joking about the skunks, but everyone assumed he knew and was telling the truth. Not that he was an expert on animals, but there wasn’t enough cover for this to be a den where an animal would keep its babies. That much he remembered from childhood visits, when his father had been ready with an answer for every question he’d thought of at the time.

So while the tree was not home to a skunk family at present, there was an occupant, and that happened to be a little chipmunk. Hanbin stood still, not wanting to scare it off. The chipmunk didn’t seem to be in a hurry to leave, and he wondered if maybe it was expecting food. He slowly reached into his pocket, where he’d stashed a bag of trail mix he’d been eating. The chipmunk stayed and watched.

The others remained where they’d moved to, wondering what Hanbin was still doing near the tree. Jinhwan was the one who moved closer.

“He’s feeding something,” Jinhwan said, shaking his head.

“Out of his hand?” Junhoe asked in disgust, while Jinhwan nodded.

“Real life Snow White!” Donghyuk joked, which made the others laugh.

“Hey Hanbin, we gotta keep moving!” Bobby called to him, walking a bit closer to see it better.

Hanbin was all smiles as the chipmunk stood by his hand, taking nibbles out of the peanut he held out. He’d always had a way with animals, always been drawn to them, and them to him.

“Come on, Snow White, we gotta go!” Bobby yelled as he got close, though in all honesty he’d be content to sit and watch Hanbin and the chipmunk all day. It was cute, the way Hanbin’s face lit up every time the chipmunk approached him.

Hanbin knew he couldn’t afford to take too much time here, but he couldn’t help himself. He dropped the rest of the peanut on the ground for the chipmunk before standing up and moving away slowly. He walked over to Bobby and flung his arm around his shoulders. “It was so cute, I couldn’t help myself!”

_That’s exactly what I think when I look at you_ , Bobby thought to himself as they fell back in with the group.

Chanwoo walked next to Yunhyeong, who was discussing some TV show with Donghyuk. He waited for a lull in the conversation before casually slipping in a question. “How are things with the girlfriend, hyung?”

“Good!” Yunhyeong immediately answered without thinking about it. The moment he heard Bobby’s yell he realized what Chanwoo had managed to do.

“I knew it! I knew you were lying about Jisoo!” Bobby yelled, wishing he had something to throw at Yunhyeong.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Jinhwan asked, pushing in between Donghyuk and Yunhyeong. “We’re supposed to be your best friends!”

“Ah, this is exactly why!” Yunhyeong replied, pushing Jinhwan away. “I didn’t want you guys to say anything to her!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Bobby yelled again.

“You know exactly what I mean! You almost ruined my last relationship; I wasn’t taking any chances this time!” Yunhyeong had spent half the year dating another girl, only for the relationship to nearly end because of Bobby and Jinhwan’s teasing ways. Well, they had called it teasing. Yunhyeong had called it torture. After breaking up with her two months ago, he'd decided not to take any chances with this new one, and had intended for it to be a secret as long as possible.

“I knew they were dating!” Hanbin smugly added, at which point Bobby turned an annoyed look on him.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Bobby asked, dismayed that two people had kept it a secret from him.

“I didn’t know that you didn’t know!” Hanbin answered with a laugh.

“How do you even know?” Yunhyeong asked, annoyed that someone had found out.

“Jennie told me.” Hanbin answered, and Yunhyeong’s face distorted in a scowl.

“That’s exactly why I told Jisoo not to tell Jennie!” Yunhyeong let out an exasperated breath, certain he was going to be hearing about this for the rest of the weekend.

Chanwoo grinned smugly, amused that he’d gotten the truth out of Yunhyeong so easily. Chanwoo had a skill when it came to disarming others in conversation, so casual he could make anyone spill their secrets without meaning to. It was how he’d found out that his brother liked guys, after all. He’d heard rumours for two weeks about Bobby supposedly dating a guy, but after hearing nothing from Bobby, Chanwoo had waited until they were alone on a Friday night before casually asking him “You going out with your boyfriend tonight?” Bobby had fallen for the trap easily, answering that yes, he was going to see a movie with him. Chanwoo had passed all of his chores off on his brother for a month in order to secure secrecy.

“I still can’t believe you didn’t tell us!” Bobby whined, arm still around Hanbin. “Just remember though, she liked me first!”

“Until she realized you were all brawn, no brain!” Jinhwan teasingly cut in.

“Hey, you’re supposed to be on my side! He lied to us!” Bobby replied.

“I never take sides, you should know that by now!” Jinhwan grinned.

“Okay can you guys please stop talking about my girlfriend?” Yunhyeong said, casting them both annoyed looks. “True, she did have a bit of a crush on Bobby last year, but she didn’t love herself at the time. She’s better now.” Everyone erupted into laughter over the comment.

“Wow, hyung!” Chanwoo slapped Yunhyeong on the back. “You actually said something funny!”

“Love changes everyone!” Donghyuk said, skipping away when Yunhyeong tried to hit him.

“Is there anything else anyone needs to come clean about?” Bobby asked. “Confession time is right now!”

“I’m going out with Lisa next week.” Junhoe casually said.

“Does Lisa know about that?” Chanwoo asked, making the others laugh.

“She actually asked me out, for your information!” Junhoe replied.

“Why?” Hanbin asked, grinning at Junhoe’s scandalized expression.

“What do you mean, _why_?” Junhoe replied. “Look at me! You like guys; can you honestly tell me I’m not attractive?”

Hanbin laughed at the question. “So you admit she only likes you for your looks?”

Junhoe glared and shook his head. “That’s not relevant! Answer my question. Do you think my face is attractive?”

Hanbin wasn’t sure what he was expected to say--he wasn’t used to discussing his sexuality around his friends. “Uh, sure?”

“Seriously? He looks too arrogant!” Yunhyeong replied. “Rank us all based on looks, Hanbin-ah!”

Hanbin’s face took on a panicked look, eyes flitting from one face to the next. “Um, do I have to?”

“Yeah you do! You’d have to be blind not to rank me number one.” Junhoe stated.

“You’re blinded by your own love for yourself,” Yunhyeong cut in, “I’m clearly the best looking one in our group!”

“If you like pretty little flower boys, maybe!” Junhoe retorted. “Come on, Hanbin, rank us!”

“Yeah, we literally have all day!” Yunhyeong added.

“Uhhh,” Hanbin couldn’t believe they were having this conversation, how was he supposed to answer?! “Um, you all have your own unique charms?”

Junhoe shook his head and let out a disgusted huff of breath. “Can you believe that lame, bullshit answer?”

“Tell us about our charms, then! Come on, everyone could use a good compliment.” Yunhyeong prodded.

“Uhh, this is bullshit,” Hanbin whined, wondering what he was supposed to say. Everyone was staring at him, though, so he just went for it. “Okay, um, well, unique charms, okay--”he looked nervously around at them, wanting to scream at their expectant and amused expressions.

Junhoe rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed with Hanbin’s stalling tactics. “Ugh, hyung, who has the best looking face?”

Hanbin frowned. He really did not want to do this! This was the perfect recipe for an awkward disaster! But it was clear that they weren’t about to let him get out of it. “In my personal opinion—Junhoe.” Hanbin answered, cringing when Junhoe let out a whoop of excitement.

“I told you!” He yelled at Yunhyeong.

“But Yunhyeong hyung has the best personality,” Hanbin replied, “he’d probably make the best boyfriend.” Hanbin cringed at mentioning Yunhyeong and boyfriend in the same sentence. Yunhyeong was so far from his ideal type.

“Who cares about being liked for your personality?” Junhoe asked.

“People who like being in relationships!” Yunhyeong replied.

“Stop arguing, Hanbin hasn’t finished answering yet!” Jinhwan yelled, amused at the situation.

“Um, okay, uhh Bobby hyung has the best body, hands down,” Hanbin said, trying not to blush as he spoke, pointedly not looking at Bobby, Chanwoo, or Jinhwan as he answered, “and Donghyuk has the best fashion sense _and_ he’s the most fun to be around!”

Unlike the others, Donghyuk accepted his compliments sweetly and without any hint of competition. “Aw thanks, hyung!”

“Chanwoo is too dangerous, I can’t talk about him,” Hanbin carried on, grinning when Chanwoo nodded at the comment.

“What about me?” Jinhwan asked impatiently.

“I’ve known you for too long, hyung; you don’t have any charming points left.” Hanbin quickly answered, hiding behind Bobby when Jinhwan came over to hit him. Junhoe laughed the loudest, becoming the target of Jinhwan’s wrath when Hanbin kept dodging his attempted hits.

They were an hour into their hike, only now coming to the river that cut the island in two. It wasn’t as deep here as it got further on, Hanbin explained, but it was still waist deep in this part, so they would have to be careful.

As expected, Junhoe was the first to complain. “Are you sure there isn’t any other way to get across?”

“Would you like us to build you a raft?” Yunhyeong teased.

“Or the six of us can carry you across above our heads?” Donghyuk suggested.

Junhoe nodded. “Either of those is a suitable option.”

“Ugh, just walk through the water, you brat!” Jinhwan yelled at him.

“Why do you keep yelling at me today, hyung?” Junhoe asked, grinning at Jinhwan’s annoyed expression.

“I yell at you every day, force of habit.” Jinhwan replied, smiling suddenly.

Hanbin was surveying the area, looking around as though he was trying to find something. “You guys hang out here for a bit, I think I might have a solution.” He dropped his bag and took off jogging, following the river up away from them around a bend.

“Where’s he going?” Yunhyeong asked, not pleased with the sudden departure. They were supposed to stick together in case anything happened.

“Who knows? Maybe there’s some secret underground passage across the river,” Jinhwan said, teasing eyes on Junhoe.

“Wasting his time; I’d rather let you guys carry me!” Junhoe replied, laughing when Yunhyeong hit him.

While there was no secret underground passage, Hanbin did remember that at some point along the river, there was an old tree that had fallen across, a makeshift bridge that might be better suited for Junhoe. He couldn’t remember exactly where it was, but something about the mountain range he could see in the distance had triggered a memory, and he’d thought that maybe the log was around the bend. He and his father had walked the river one summer when he was eleven, and Hanbin had actually fallen off the log when they attempted to cross it. He'd gotten back on though, stubbornly refusing to let his father help him. He'd crossed it without problem on the second attempt.

His intuition proved to be correct and he appeared back in view to the others, waving for them to join him. Bobby grabbed his bag and they all headed for Hanbin’s position.

“Junhoe, if you don’t like my solution you can leave!” Hanbin yelled in greeting as they rounded the corner. He was standing next to an overturned tree, looking smug.

“Oh, cool!” Donghyuk exclaimed, rushing forward to join Hanbin. “This is seriously just like a movie!”

Junhoe frowned at Hanbin’s proposed solution. He wasn’t being difficult on purpose--he just wasn’t exactly as outdoorsy as the others. He liked sticking to paved trails and bridges. He wasn’t keen on getting lost in the woods. But he’d take climbing over a tree to wading through water, at least.

Chanwoo joined Hanbin and Donghyuk, excited too. While he would have been happy to wade through the river, walking across the tree was a bit more of an adventure, plus he wouldn’t get his feet wet. “How did you know this was here?”

Hanbin grinned and leaned back against the tree. “Sudden childhood memory! Just got lucky it ended up being where I remembered it.”

“Hanbin is honestly the luckiest person I know,” Jinhwan said, coming over to inspect the old log. “Is this thing safe?”

Hanbin rolled his eyes. “Would the safety inspector like a tour first?” He asked sarcastically, yelping when Jinhwan smacked him.

“Don’t be a smart ass,” Jinhwan reprimanded, “someone has to be responsible. Besides, it just looks a little unsteady. Half of it is gone, after all.”

“It was hit by lightning,” Hanbin explained, “it’s been here for years though, so I think it’s fine.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better!” Jinhwan said, but climbed up on the log anyway. As the oldest, he willingly took on the responsibility of testing it out first. “I’ll go across and make sure it’s okay, so you guys wait here.”

“I think you and Bobby got him worried at the waterfall,” Chanwoo said to Hanbin, who grinned in agreement.

“Probably! Oh well, hope he doesn’t embarrass himself and slip off.” Hanbin watched as Jinhwan deftly made his way across the log, stopping here and there to test out its weight limit. He came back to the group after an extensive test.

“Alright, it seems safe enough! But come across in pairs for extra balance!” Jinhwan directed, before heading back over to the other side to observe.

“When did he turn into such a mom?” Chanwoo asked, shaking his head and grabbing Donghyuk’s hand. “Partners!”

Donghyuk hopped up on the log first, his sense of balance better than Chanwoo. “This should be easy, let’s go!” Donghyuk kept his eyes on the log in front of him, picking out places to step that seemed strong and weren’t too wet. Chanwoo followed behind, carefully stepping in each spot that Donghyuk stepped in. If Bobby weren’t here, Chanwoo would have preferred to try running across the log, but he knew when to not push his luck. Bobby was already being protective enough, Chanwoo didn't need him to get any worse.

Jinhwan watched them with hawk eyes, pack off and ready to help if either of them fell in.

Back on the other side, Junhoe was complaining again. “Why did we have to go on this stupid treasure hunt anyway? Why do you hate civilization so much?” He whined to Hanbin.

“I should record you like this and send it to Lisa, so she can see what she’s getting herself into,” Hanbin grinned back at him.

Junhoe huffed in annoyance. “Shut up!” They watched as Chanwoo and Donghyuk safely made it across, hopping off the log.

“If I have to do this, I get Hanbin!” Junhoe stated, grabbing Hanbin’s arm. “I want the most experienced log crosser.”

Bobby and Yunhyeong laughed at him while Hanbin let Junhoe pull himself to their starting point. He climbed up on to the tree, helping to pull Junhoe up behind him. As mouthy and aggressive as Junhoe was the majority of the time, Hanbin was always amused when he found out how nervous Junhoe was about doing nearly everything. “Okay, let’s go! I promise I’ll take things slow.”

Junhoe’s hands clutched at Hanbin’s waist, nervous now that they were up on the log. “Please be careful, I’m actually really scared.” Junhoe said into Hanbin's ear.

Hanbin grinned. “I know! I promise you’ll be fine!” Hanbin said encouragingly, though he was tempted to tease him.

“Don’t pretend to throw me off either, I can’t swim!” Junhoe admitted, something that caught Hanbin off guard.

“I didn’t know that,” he replied, “good thing you said it though, ‘cause I was thinking of pushing you in!”

“Hyung!” Junhoe yelled, tempted to hit Hanbin but not wanting to let go of his grip.

Hanbin laughed and laid his hands over Junhoe’s. “Joking! Seriously don’t worry, I already got wet once today, that was enough!” He slowly moved them across the log, laughing every time Junhoe freaked out over something unexpected, like the wood creaking or water splashing over the trunk. They made it over to the other side without a problem, and Junhoe immediately sank down to the ground in relief.

Hanbin grinned and turned back around to watch Bobby and Yunhyeong, who’d already started crossing. They were both at ease, not even holding on to each other, instead teasingly pushing at one another.

Bobby was in front, and Yunhyeong poked him in the side. “Be careful Bobby!”

Bobby turned around and reached for Yunhyeong, grabbing for his arm. “I already got wet today, don’t make me do it again!” He threatened.

“Don’t even think about it!” Yunhyeong pleaded. “At least not while we’re wearing our packs!”

“Okay, truce!” Bobby called out, though he didn’t entirely trust Yunhyeong still behind him.

The distrust was founded though because Yunhyeong pulled on his arm again, and Bobby became unbalanced and had to reach back for Yunhyeong to steady him before he slipped off into the water. “I thought we just called a truce!” Bobby yelled, laughing as the two of them struggled to keep their footing.

“You called the truce, I never agreed to it!” Yunhyeong replied back, grinning deviously.

“Quit messing around and get over here!” Jinhwan yelled at them, shaking his head as he watched them playing around.

“Aw mom, do we have to?” Bobby yelled back, before punching Yunhyeong in the arm.

“I mean it! Don’t make me come out there!” Jinhwan teased, no intention of doing that. Bobby was in a destructive mood, apparently, and Jinhwan knew to stay away otherwise he’d be a target.

They finally made it safely to the ground, hopping down off the log and happily shoving each other into the grass. Now that they were all safely across they resumed their hike, Hanbin and Donghyuk taking the lead.

They walked for another hour before taking a rest, stumbling into a lush meadow full of tall grass and flowers. They still had hours before nightfall, so Hanbin was confident that they could afford a bit of a break to enjoy the scenery.

Junhoe and Jinhwan stretched out for a nap, while Yunhyeong, Donghyuk, and Chanwoo sat together to have a snack. Bobby and Hanbin stretched out next to each other, eyes on the clear blue sky. Hanbin cuddled into Bobby’s side without thinking about it; Bobby wasn’t about to complain.

“So, tell me about that last sailing trophy you won,” Bobby asked, wanting to listen to Hanbin talk passionately for a while.

“It was one of the biggest youth competitions in North America,” Hanbin replied, “invite only, actually. My club put my name down for it without even asking me, it was a surprise since it was my last year before coming back.”

“That’s cool,” Bobby replied, “was it unexpected?”

“Oh totally,” Hanbin replied, “every club only enters one person, and there was another kid there who always used to get nominations. The rest of us never even bothered asking, because his grandfather owned the club.”

“So how did you get picked?” Bobby asked.

“I don’t know for sure, but I think it was meant as a gift, even though they said it was based on my abilities. Which I mean, okay, yes, I was that good to deserve the invitation. But politics always come first, and foreign exchange students tend to not be at the top of anyone’s list, unless your family is super rich.”

“Must have been a nice feeling then to get it.” Bobby smiled, happy to hear the pride in Hanbin’s voice. “What did the other kid say when you got the invitation instead of him?”

“He was really cool about it,” Hanbin answered, “he wasn’t upset at all. That may have been because we were dating, though.” He nervously waited for Bobby’s reply, wondering if the topic would make Bobby uncomfortable.

Bobby was surprised to hear Hanbin mention the boyfriend, because he rarely ever brought up his relationships unless he was directly asked about them. Bobby was desperate not to sound weird about it, though, because he was actually curious about the kind of guy Hanbin had dated before Minho. “Was he your first boyfriend?”

Hanbin smiled when Bobby asked, relieved that he wasn’t bothered by the topic. “Yeah, he was,” he said, voice soft at the memory. “Lance Ellison.” Hanbin waited for Bobby to make a comment, grinning in anticipation.

“That was his name?” Bobby asked in surprise, unable to help but laugh. “His name was Lance?”

“He had an older brother named Bryce,” Hanbin divulged, joining in when Bobby started laughing.

“Are you serious?” Bobby asked, not meaning to laugh but unable to help it. Hanbin didn’t seem upset, at least.

“I know, stereotypical rich white kid names,” Hanbin replied, “the family was super rich though, like billionaire rich.”

“You dated a billionaire?” Bobby asked, mouth wide open in shock, wondering what other secrets Hanbin was holding.

Hanbin nodded. “Yeah, I did.” He’d been just as surprised at the time; convinced Lance was doing it as a form of rebellion against his parents. But when Hanbin found out that his parents didn’t really pay much attention to their son’s personal life, he’d accepted that for whatever reason, Lance actually liked him. It may have been their shared obsession with history, sailing, and Fight Club.

“Why did you leave? You’d have been set for life!” Bobby joked, curious if anything had gone wrong between them.

“Family,” Hanbin answered, “missed my parents and I had a little sister that didn’t know who I was. We wouldn’t have lasted anyway."

“Did his parents know?” Bobby was curious about that the most. He still hadn’t told his parents that he liked guys too, wasn’t sure when he even would.

“No, even though they met me a few times,” Hanbin answered, “they didn’t pay much attention, it was the sort of family where the parents barely even see their own kids.”

“That’s too bad,” Bobby answered. “Did his grandfather know?”

“We never told him, but I think he knew,” Hanbin answered. He was certain of it, actually.

“Do you keep in touch with him?” Bobby asked, hoping he wasn’t prying too much.

“Not really,” Hanbin replied, “we’re still friends on Instagram, but neither of us have bothered sending each other messages in a long time. He’s dating some girl now that his dad wants him to marry for business reasons, and my life doesn’t really match his at all anymore.”

“But you still follow each other, so he still sees you.” Bobby wasn’t sure why, but he wanted to think that Hanbin’s old boyfriend still cared about him to some extent. He couldn’t imagine anyone being that close to Hanbin and then never thinking about him again.

“I guess. Anyway, I’m sure you don’t want to listen to me talk about my old boyfriend--”

“You’re telling Bobby about Lance?” They were interrupted by Jinhwan, who flopped down beside Hanbin.

Hanbin grinned and turned his head to look at him. “We were talking about my sailing career, and he just happened to come up.”

“You should see a picture of them together some time,” Jinhwan teasingly said, “Lance looks exactly the way you’d expect him to look. Wavy blonde hair, blue eyes, chiseled jaw--”

“Shut up, hyung!” Hanbin punched Jinhwan in the shoulder, but it didn’t deter him.

“Honestly, he’s probably modeled for Ralph Lauren by now.” Jinhwan couldn’t help himself. He hadn’t teased Hanbin over his old boyfriend in a long time.

“No Ralph Lauren,” Hanbin said seriously, “he’s modeled for The Gap, though.”

Jinhwan stared hard at Hanbin for a few seconds before shaking his head. “Oh my god, you’re serious!”

Bobby’s mouth dropped open in shock. Not only was Hanbin’s old boyfriend the son of a billionaire, but he was a model too?! How was he supposed to compete with that?

“Yeah, he was in their spring campaign this year.” Hanbin had seen the pictures on-line—had been tempted to message him and offer congratulations. But instead he’d just stared at them, not even bothering to like them because he didn’t want to draw attention to himself. He’d lost enough friends over the past year; he didn’t want to risk losing a link to the happiest time in his life either.

“You know, I always wondered what he saw in you,” Jinhwan said, unable to help himself.

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Hanbin yelled, fixing Jinhwan with an annoyed stare.

Jinhwan grinned. “Honestly, Bobby, if you see a picture of them together you’ll know exactly what I mean. Lance was obscenely pretty, like way out of Hanbin’s league.”

Hanbin’s glare intensified, tempted to punch Jinhwan again.

“They couldn’t have been that mismatched,” Bobby said, “Hanbin’s cute.”

Hanbin turned to look at him, surprised to hear Bobby say it. “Thanks, hyung!” Hanbin replied, shy smile pulling at his lips.

Bobby grinned and barely kept himself from reaching out and pulling Hanbin in for a kiss. _Be cool, Bobby, be cool!_

“Next to Lance, though, he was ugly. Honestly no one was looking at Hanbin, unless it was to wonder why they were together.” Jinhwan couldn’t help it, and it’s not like Hanbin hadn’t already heard him say it all years ago when they were together.

“Come on, Jinani! Hanbin’s not ugly, it doesn’t matter who’s standing next to him!” Bobby hoped he wasn’t laying it on too thick but he couldn’t help it. “ _I’m _ugly; Hanbin’s way better looking than me.”__

__Hanbin really hoped he wasn’t blushing at Bobby’s words. “You’re not ugly, hyung!” He said to Bobby._ _

__“Don’t lie to him, Hanbin-ie! Bobby _is_ ugly, and he knows it!” Jinhwan countered._ _

__“He is not!” Hanbin insisted, turning towards Bobby and leaning in closer to him. “I think you’re cute.”_ _

__Bobby grinned at Hanbin’s comment, praying that he wasn’t blushing at the compliment. He knew he wasn’t cute, he knew he was conventionally ugly, but if Hanbin wanted to dispute that, Bobby wasn’t about to stop him._ _

__“Hanbin! Stop giving him false hope!” Jinhwan couldn’t help but tease._ _

__“Seriously! Bobby hyung, whose word are you going to take? The straight guy, or the gay guy?” Hanbin wasn’t sure why he was being so insistent. And to be honest Jinhwan was right--Bobby wasn’t really that good looking, normally. But there was something oddly attractive about him, and there were certain times when he was definitely cute._ _

__Jinhwan wasn’t about to let up on the teasing. “So, you’re saying you find Bobby attractive, then?”_ _

__“No!” Hanbin panicked, glaring at Jinhwan. Oh god is that what Bobby would think? That Hanbin was attracted to him? What was Jinhwan doing?! He was going to make their friendship awkward now!_ _

__“Don’t lie, Hanbin-ie! You’re attracted to Bobby!” Jinhwan wasn’t trying to out Hanbin’s crush--but his panicked overreaction was entirely too funny at the moment._ _

__Hanbin turned to Bobby and fixed flustered eyes on him. “I’m sorry, he’s talking bullshit, I promise!” He turned back to Jinhwan and grabbed his arm, punching him in the shoulder again._ _

__“OW! Hanbin!” Jinhwan jerked his arm back at the hit, surprised at the force. Maybe he’d gone a little too far?_ _

__Hanbin’s eyes widened in concern at Jinhwan’s expression. He hadn’t meant to punch him that hard! It was a panicked overreaction! “Well, that’s what you get for being an asshole!” Hanbin yelled at him, mortified. If Bobby wasn’t awkward after Jinhwan’s teasing, he probably was after Hanbin’s over the top reaction._ _

__Bobby, however, couldn't help but laugh. Jinhwan _did_ deserve the punch in Bobby’s opinion. He found Hanbin’s panicky reaction adorable, and wanted to tell him that, but he thought it probably wouldn’t help matters at the moment. Instead he just laughed, because the whole thing was funny._ _

__Hanbin chanced a look at Bobby, relieved when there wasn’t a trace of awkwardness in Bobby’s expression. Instead Hanbin swore Bobby’s face held nothing but affection, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Disaster averted._ _

__Jinhwan was beyond convinced now that Hanbin had developed a massive crush on Bobby at some point over the past year. Hanbin staring at Bobby’s body was one thing; even their flirting at the waterfall earlier could still count as Hanbin being interested in the moment. But his overly defensive reaction to Jinhwan saying that he found Bobby attractive was certain proof that Hanbin was trying to hide some pretty serious feelings._ _

__“Lesson learned—next time I insult you I’ll make sure I do it from farther away!” Jinhwan replied, grinning when Hanbin laughed. “Should we get going now, you think?”_ _

__Hanbin nodded and was a little relieved for the call to move. He’d just openly admitted that he thought Bobby was cute. Hanbin really needed something to take his mind off of that before he confessed his crush to Bobby._ _


	5. The Eagle's Talon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanbin, Chanwoo, and Donghyuk try to solve a riddle while the other four go swimming and cloud gazing!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a filler chapter before we move on. Next chapter is almost done so I should be able to post it soon!

“This should be it!” Donghyuk called out, looking for Hanbin.  
  
Hanbin was holding the unfurled map in his hands, looking at their next clue.  
  
~ _At the root of the eagle’s talon, look to the crow’s nest. When scales chase the tail, all will be revealed_ ~  
  
“What do you think it means?” Chanwoo asked, looking over Hanbin’s shoulder.  
  
“I don't know,” Hanbin said, before looking around the area where they’d stopped. “I’m not really a riddle person.”  
  
Chanwoo thought about the words as he looked around. There were a lot of trees in the area, just as Hanbin had suggested there would be earlier. He’d assumed that root must pertain to a tree somehow, but what was the eagle’s talon supposed to signify? Was there a family of eagles that had a nest somewhere?  
  
“Are we stopping here?” Jinhwan asked, dropping his bag.  
  
“Yeah, for a bit until we figure this out.” Hanbin answered.  
  
“Good!” Jinhwan promptly sat down and pulled off his sneakers. Junhoe sat down next to him and Jinhwan stuck his feet in the younger boy’s lap. “Rub my feet, June-ya!”  
  
Junhoe regarded him with a disgusted look. “No.”  
  
“Come on!” Jinhwan pleaded. “It’ll be good practice if Lisa decides to date you!”  
  
“I won’t rub her feet either.” Junhoe replied, shoving Jinhwan’s legs away.  
  
“Sinking his relationship already, I love it!” Yunhyeong said as he sat down near the pair.  
  
“Can you go an hour without being rude, Junhoe?” Bobby asked, joining them.  
  
“I’m not the one being rude! Jinan hyung just shoved his feet in my face, how is that not rude?” Junhoe complained.  
  
“Elder privileges,” Jinhwan replied, which made Bobby and Yunhyeong laugh. “If you’re going to be rude, go play with the kids over there.” Jinhwan waved to where Hanbin, Chanwoo, and Donghyuk were still engrossed with the map.  
  
Junhoe’s face wrinkled in irritation. “No thanks. I’ll stay where I am.”  
  
“That wasn’t a suggestion, brat!” Jinhwan teased back, shoving his foot into Junhoe’s side.  
  
“Hyung, seriously!” Junhoe whined. “I’m not your slave!”  
  
“Didn’t I tell you to stop talking?” Jinhwan retorted, grinning at the other two.  
  
“You should return him,” Bobby teased, “he’s defective.”  
  
“You guys are idiots,” Junhoe replied, “all three of you.”  
  
“Watch your tone!” Yunhyeong said, reaching out to smack Junhoe’s arm.  
  
“Why are you so violent, hyung?!” Junhoe rubbed the spot where he’d been hit.  
  
“Yunhyeong does have a problem with violence, doesn’t he?” Jinhwan said, grinning when Yunhyeong fixed him with a glare.  
  
“You’re right. How many times is it now that he’s hit you today, Junhoe?” Bobby asked. “He actually hit me a few times too!”  
  
“You guys always deserve it!” Yunhyeong answered.  
  
“That’s true, at least,” Jinhwan agreed, much to Bobby’s irritation.  
  
“Junhoe, for sure! I didn’t do anything, though!” Bobby whined.  
  
“Not so far, but I’m sure you will at some point today!” Yunhyeong replied with a grin.  
  
As the four continued to bicker, Donghyuk looked around the area, still trying to figure out the clue. They’d scattered to different locations nearby, looking at each tree with interest. Donghyuk was by a short drop, no more than five feet, the rock underfoot having sheared off at some point in the past. He carefully stepped over boulders and cracks in the rock, his eyes on the tree roots that grew up out of the ground, thick tangled ropes that criss-crossed over the rocks. It wasn’t something you really saw in the city, where trees were perfectly planted with enough room to grow. Here they looked wild, roots shooting out of the ground only to sink back in further away. It was interesting to look at, made you wonder why they grew that way.  
  
He approached the rocks for a closer look, intrigued by one in particular, the roots thicker than all the rest. When he switched his position and looked at it from the front he let out a shocked yell.  
  
“Hyung!!” Donghyuk called out, “Chanwoo! Come here!!”  
  
Both Hanbin and Chanwoo raced over to Donghyuk, excited by the eagerness of his voice. “What did you find?” Chanwoo asked, reaching him first.  
  
“Come here and look at this!” Donghyuk said excitedly, not wanting to say anything in case his desperate mind was finding clues where none existed.  
  
Chanwoo joined him, and seconds later Hanbin joined them, and all three stood silent for a moment, staring at the root-covered rocks.  
  
“The eagle’s talon,” Hanbin finally said, and the other two nodded in agreement. “This has to be what the clue means, right?”  
  
“It has to be!” Chanwoo agreed. “It looks exactly like an eagle’s talon, this is crazy!”  
  
The thick roots did form in a very similar look, stretching out over the rock like a bird’s claw itself would sit, curled around the face, even ridged and ringed. The only problem, though, was that the roots dived back under the ground, so they had no way of knowing which tree they actually belonged to.  
  
“Okay, so this is definitely the eagle’s talon. Is the crow’s nest supposed to be up in the tree?” Donghyuk stared at the root covered rock, wishing it would give them some kind of sign.  
  
“It has to be, don’t you think? Maybe they installed some kind of box in the tree to hide something in?” Chanwoo looked around at the surrounding trees, wondering if they were going to have to climb them all.  
  
“Crows are known to like shiny objects, right? So crow’s nest would be a good code word for treasure chest!” Hanbin added, rolling the map back up.  
  
“That’s right! Pirates would totally use code words!” Chanwoo wondered if the statue they’d found earlier would help them find the tree.  
  
“How do we find the right tree though? There’s so many of them! How are we supposed to figure out which one the root belongs to?” Donghyuk laid a hand on the root in question, fingers tracing over the rough texture of the bark.  
  
“There must be some way to figure it out.” Chanwoo said, looking at the trees near where they stood. “It’s gotta be one of these, don’t you think? How far do tree roots even go?” The trio stood quietly in front of the line of trees, looking for some kind of sign.  
  
Meanwhile the other four were lazing around, debating their next course of action.  
  
“We’re supposed to be by a beach, right? We should go swimming!” Bobby suggested, not content to sit around at the moment.  
  
“Shouldn’t we see if the kids need our help with anything?” Yunhyeong asked, eyes back on the trio. “Look at them, they look lost.”

“They do look lost.” Jinhwan grinned at the sight, wondering what the three of them were up to. “Let’s go check with Hanbin and see how close the beach is.”  
  
When no one moved to get up, Jinhwan nudged Junhoe. “Go on, you’re the youngest, go find out which direction the beach is in.”  
  
“Go find out yourself! I don’t care about the beach.” Junhoe replied.  
  
“Ugh, we seriously need to beat him good and hard.” Yunhyeong replied before standing up. “I’ll go check. Junhoe would probably mess up Hanbin’s directions anyway.” Yunhyeong made his way over to Hanbin, still curious about what the trio was doing.  
  
“How close is the beach from here?” He asked, amused when none of them looked at him.  
  
“Probably a five minute walk?” Hanbin said, eyes still on the trees.  
  
“Which direction?” Yunhyeong asked, tempted to ask what they were looking at, but also unsure if he wanted to get involved.  
  
Hanbin finally looked away from the trees, instead sending his gaze up at the sky. “Straight ahead,” he replied, pointing back to where the other three were still lying in the grass.  
  
“We’re thinking of heading to the beach,” Yunhyeong explained, “you guys should take a break and come with us!”  
  
“We’re busy trying to figure the next part out,” Chanwoo replied, “you guys go without us.”  
  
Yunhyeong frowned. He did not like the idea of splitting the group up. “I don’t know, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”  
  
“It’s fine,” Hanbin replied, “just make sure you guys know how to get back here.”  
  
Yunhyeong frowned again, his naturally protective nature making him unwilling to split the group up. “I really don’t think it’s a good idea.”  
  
Hanbin looked at him then, eyes narrowed slightly. “We’ll be fine on our own, and you guys have Jinhwan hyung with you in case anyone drowns. I have more experience out here than the rest of you combined, so trust me, the three of us will be more than okay.”  
  
Before Yunhyeong had the chance to respond, Chanwoo stepped in, well-versed in placating an older, worried brother. “Hyung, we appreciate that you’re worried about us, but we’ll really be okay. Hanbin hyung is really experienced in the woods, and all we’re doing is looking for a particular tree anyway. When we find it we’ll come join you guys, we promise!”  
  
Yunhyeong sighed and nodded to Chanwoo. “I didn’t mean it to sound like you don’t know what you’re doing, Hanbin-ah,” he said, “I just want us to have a good weekend, _together_.”  
  
“We are, hyung! But this is really important, and if you guys don’t want to help, then you should go have fun swimming. It’ll keep everyone happy.” Hanbin stated, very much used to getting his way, irritated at needing to explain himself.  
  
Yunhyeong just shook his head and grinned. “You and Junhoe both need a lesson in not being rude to your elders!”  
  
“I’m not being rude!” Hanbin whined. “I’m being direct?”  
  
Donghyuk laughed and patted Hanbin on the shoulder. “You’re being a little rude.”  
  
Hanbin smiled apologetically. “Sorry, hyung!” He sheepishly said to Yunhyeong.  
  
“I’ll let it slide this time!” Yunhyeong replied. “Okay well, we’re gonna go swimming, then!”  
  
“Alright, just make sure you know how to get back! Don’t let anyone wander off.” Hanbin said, before the trio resumed their previous activity of staring at the root covered rock.  
  
Yunhyeong rejoined the beach group. “Five minutes that way!” He relayed the directions.  
  
“Simple enough!” Bobby replied before standing up. “Should we really leave them, though?” As much as he wanted to go swimming, he was slightly concerned about leaving Chanwoo behind. Not to mention he really wanted Hanbin to come to the beach with them, for obvious reasons that involved less clothing and a lot of opportunities for touching.  
  
“They’ll be fine, they’re not kids!” Junhoe replied. He wanted to get to the beach but not to go swimming. He just wanted to lay in the sun.  
  
“They are kids! You’re a kid too though, so you don’t understand our concern.” Yunhyeong teased him.  
  
“You guys aren’t that much older than us, you know.” Junhoe replied.  
  
“Seriously, June-ya, stop speaking so disrespectfully!” Jinhwan swatted him on the back of the head. Junhoe didn’t reply.  
  
“They said they’d come join us when they figured out whatever they have to figure out,” Yunhyeong said.  
  
“Alright, let’s go, then.” Bobby took off first, walking towards what he really hoped was the beach.  
  
~  
  
“This beach is even nicer than the main one!” Yunhyeong remarked, eyes taking it all in. A whole wide expanse of untouched sand lay before them, the water a beautiful blue hue.  
  
“No kidding, I can see why Hanbin misses coming here! This would be great for a party.” Junhoe didn’t usually care much for beaches, but this one was surprisingly nice.  
  
“Reminds me of Jeju,” Jinhwan sighed, before walking to find a spot to lay down his towel. “Junhoe are you coming in the water at all?”  
  
“Are you kidding? Of course not,” Junhoe replied, “I don’t feel like drowning today.”  
  
“We should really teach you how to swim,” Yunhyeong replied, “this is ridiculous.”  
  
“No thanks, I’m happy on land.” Junhoe laid his towel down next to Jinhwan’s, pulling off his shirt and shoes before stretching out on his stomach. “You guys go swim, I’m gonna tan!”  
  
“You’re hopeless.” Yunhyeong replied, dropping his clothing and towel down beside Junhoe. The three of them then set off for the water, splashing in quickly.  
  
~  
  
“That one’s a Phoenix.” Jinhwan said with certainty.  
  
“I actually see a rabbit.” Bobby replied.  
  
“ _How?!_ How is that a rabbit?” Jinhwan asked.  
  
“Not a real one! Like a cartoon rabbit, Bugs Bunny kinda rabbit, that walks on two legs?”  
  
“You’re crazy, it’s clearly a Phoenix.”  
  
“I thought Phoenix at first too, but since Bobby mentioned Bugs Bunny, that’s all I see now.” Yunhyeong cut in, earning him a high five from Bobby.  
  
“You guys know what I see?” Junhoe asked. “A fucking cloud.”  
  
“Listen,” Jinhwan started, leaning over to smack him, “I told you, if you have nothing to add to the conversation, shut up.”  
  
“I did have something to add!” Junhoe replied, “It does look like a cloud!”  
  
“Stop talking, Junhoe!” Bobby added.  
  
“You guys are annoying!” Junhoe sulked, eyes on the sky again. “Okay that one actually looks like a dick.”  
  
“Junhoe!” Jinhwan reached over to smack him again.  
  
“Well he’s not lying,” Bobby said, coming to Junhoe’s defence, “it actually does look like a dick.”  
  
“Cloud gazing is supposed to be a nice, wholesome activity,” Yunhyeong lamented, shaking his head, “and now I have to look at Junhoe’s dick.”  
  
“Oh does it look like the cloud, Yoyo? You an expert on Junhoe’s dick?” Bobby teased.  
  
“That’s not what I meant!” Yunhyeong replied, blushing.  
  
“To answer your question it does looks similar, but the cloud’s not big enough.” Junhoe shamelessly stated.  
  
“It actually does resemble him, now that I think about it,” Jinhwan agreed, “it’s just a giant dick with no balls.” They all laughed while Junhoe sulked, throwing a handful of sand at Jinhwan.  
  
“Should we get back and find out what the kids are doing? How long has it been since we left? Over two hours?” Yunhyeong asked, looking at his watch.  
  
“What the heck are they doing back there?” Bobby asked, not wanting to go back, instead hoping the other three would show up here. He really wanted to go swimming with Hanbin again.  
  
“They said they were looking for a specific tree.” Yunhyeong answered.  
  
“What were they going to do when they found the tree?” Bobby asked, protective older brother mode activating.  
  
“I don’t know, they didn’t say.”  
  
Jinhwan grinned at Bobby. “I’m sure nothing is going on.”  
  
Bobby shook his head. “If we get back and I find Chanwoo climbing trees, I’m gonna be pissed.”  
  
“Oh let him live, hyung! You’re just as bad as your parents.” Junhoe replied.  
  
“But I’m the one that catches shit whenever anything happens to him! Seriously, I still remember the beating I got when he broke his leg.”  
  
“You deserved that one though!” Jinhwan laughed. “You didn’t just let him jump off the roof, you goaded him into doing it!”  
  
“I did not.” Bobby replied with a grin. “Lies.”  
  
“We were all there, Bobby, it was totally your fault!” Yunhyeong agreed, laughing about it too.  
  
“I was trying to teach him a lesson about thinking for yourself…” Bobby scrounged for an acceptable excuse.  
  
“Such a caring hyung,” Junhoe teased, “Chanwoo is so lucky.”  
  
“You, shut up!” Bobby yelled at Junhoe.  
  
“Junhoe’s right, Bobby’s a model older brother!” Jinhwan teased too.  
  
“I am now! I was young and stupid at the time.” Bobby grinned.  
  
“Not so young anymore but still just as stupid.” Jinhwan teased before setting off back in the direction of camp.  
  
~  
  
“We can’t figure out the next part of the clue, so I decided that we should just set up camp here for the night.” Hanbin explained when the four returned. There was already a fire going, Donghyuk tending to the flames while Hanbin and Chanwoo collected wood.  
  
“Whatever you say, oh experienced woodsman,” Jinhwan teased, dropping his bag in the middle of the clearing. “The beach was nice!”  
  
“Glad you guys enjoyed it.” Hanbin replied with a smile. He’d wanted to join them for swimming, but he’d thought it would be safer if he didn’t. His flirting with Bobby was getting a little too obvious as far as Hanbin was concerned. Besides, the beach firmly belonged to Minho in his mind, and the last thing he wanted to do was stare at Bobby out there. Staying behind and trying to solve the map while setting up camp had really helped his mental state, reminding him to keep his crush strictly fantasy.  
  
“You missed out!” Bobby said, coming up behind Hanbin and playfully wrapping his arms around Hanbin’s chest. “I wanted to throw you around again!”  
  
Hanbin hated how easily his body reacted to Bobby’s presence, heart hammering as Bobby’s arms wrapped around him. Hadn’t he just thought he’d had this under control?!  
  
“Ah hyung, that’s why I stayed away!” Hanbin joked back, “You manhandled me enough for one day!”  
  
Bobby grinned and let him go. “There’s always later, Hanbin-ah.” Bobby winked at him before inspecting the fire Donghyuk had built.  
  
Hanbin couldn’t help but stare at Bobby’s back for a few seconds, wishing he could reel his thoughts back in. He needed to think about Minho. _Think about your boyfriend, Hanbin! Your boyfriend that you’re happy with!_ It was easy to do, because they had a lot of good memories. The problem was that every time he had his thoughts under control, Bobby came into view and ruined everything with his muscles and his smile.

 


	6. Enemies On The Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bobby gets a first hand look at Hanbin's relationship with his arch-rival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With the exception of the opening scene, this chapter is all Hanbin/Bobby/Jinhwan interaction with the Winner boys (I've also included Jung Jaewon/One). There's also obviously a lot of Mino/Hanbin. Also as much as I love and adore the Winner boys/Jaewon, I had to write them all as jerks. Please don't think I don't love them. ;)
> 
> Since it's all MinBin I've decided to be nice and upload the next chapter right now as well, so we can get back to Double B's flirting. ;)

“What’s that noise?” Donghyuk looked up from their fire pit, glancing out towards the water. “Uh guys, I think we have company.”

“What? Where?” Chanwoo jumped to his feet to survey. “They look like they’re heading for the beach.”

“Hold on,” Hanbin said with a sigh, “I think I know that boat.”

“Of course you do,” Bobby muttered quietly, frowning as he watched Hanbin stand up and approach Chanwoo.

“Your friends?” Chanwoo asked.

“You could say that,” Hanbin answered, “that’s Hoon’s boat for sure, so it’s probably some of the guys from the football team.” Which he was definitely sure included his boyfriend, because Minho never missed island trips. Hanbin was a little surprised by the knot of apprehension in his stomach, certain it was a product of his guilt over Bobby.

“Why not?” Bobby said under his breath, irritated for multiple reasons. Not only would he have to deal with Song Minho’s arrogant attitude, but he didn’t exactly want to face him when he was hanging out with his little brother and his dorky friends. Bobby did have a reputation to uphold, after all.

“You gonna go say hi?” Jinhwan asked Hanbin, keeping his tone as natural as possible.

Hanbin shrugged. “Do I have to?” He asked with a laugh, and it immediately bolstered Bobby’s spirit a bit.

“Maybe just go find out what they’re here for,” Jinhwan answered, only because he thought it was better that they approached them now and not later when it got dark.

“Oh I already know the answer to that question. They’re just here to get drunk and build a really big bonfire like idiots,” Hanbin muttered, though he said it all with a fond smile on his face. “I should probably go say hi, before they come investigating their neighbours.”

“I’ll come with you,” Jinhwan said quickly, glancing at Bobby in warning.

“I’m coming too.” Bobby stated, even though he knew it was a bad idea. Jinhwan shook his head in disagreement.

“Fine, but promise me you won’t challenge my boyfriend to a fight on the beach?” Hanbin said with a grin.

“I promise I won’t _instigate_ a fight,” Bobby replied, grinning back. Oh this was stupid—he’d spent all day getting close to Hanbin. Did he really want to go and watch Hanbin and Minho?

“As good as I’ll get, I guess.” Hanbin replied with a laugh.

“The rest of you hang out til we get back,” Bobby said to the group, looking pointedly at Chanwoo, “don’t wander off anywhere on your own.”

“We won’t. Not while the fire’s still going, at least.” Chanwoo replied cheekily.

Bobby gave his little brother a warning glance before leaving to follow Jinhwan and Hanbin down to the beach, wondering again if he’d made the right choice to come along. Did he just want to irritate Minho? Because he knew that the second that Minho saw Hanbin with him, he’d probably be angry about it. Was Bobby just trying to sabotage things between them?

They heard loud music start up as they approached the beach where the rich kids already had a fire going, one of them dousing the logs in lighter fluid to make the flames higher. Bobby surveyed the group and found that Hanbin had guessed correctly. It was mostly members of the football team, though it was only about half of them. There was Seunghoon and Jaewon, star running backs, Taehyun (wide receiver and Hanbin’s best friend, for reasons that eluded Bobby’s understanding), and Seungyoon, the only member of the defensive line that was truly a part of Minho’s crew. There were a few others that Bobby didn’t know by name.

He frowned as he watched Hanbin make his way towards Minho, the stirrings of jealousy pumping in his own heart. Hanbin didn’t really talk about Minho when Bobby was around, and he’d rarely ever seen the two of them together. Any time he did it was always hard to stomach, and he hated the fact that he just couldn’t seem to tear his eyes off of them.

Minho was in the middle of offloading some ice when he heard Seunghoon call out a greeting to the last name he expected to hear tonight. He pivoted quickly, dropping the bag at his feet the second his eyes fell on his boyfriend. “Hanbin-ah!” Minho yelled in greeting, his face lighting up in a smile.

Hanbin smiled back, heart fluttering a little in his chest at Minho’s expression. Despite being together for nearly two years now (and having their share of ups and downs, more downs than ups as of late) Minho could still make his heart race with just a smile. That didn’t mean Hanbin would melt on him, though.

“Hey,” he said in greeting, grinning when Minho frowned.

“ _Hey?_ That’s all I get?” Minho reached out and slid his hands down Hanbin’s arms, pulling him in for an embrace.

“Be grateful I came to say hi at all.” Hanbin teased back, slipping his arms around Minho’s back and meeting his lips for a kiss.

“What are you doing out here anyway?” Minho asked, finally looking up from Hanbin and seeing his two companions. His face wrinkled in irritation when he saw Bobby. “Are you here with _Bobby Kim_?” Minho asked, his voice low enough so only Hanbin could hear him.

“Yeah,” Hanbin answered, “Bobby and his brother; Jinan-ie and a few of our other friends too.”

Minho levelled a glare in Bobby’s direction before looking back at Hanbin. “What the fuck for? You should have told me you wanted to come out to the island; you could have just come with us.”

Hanbin’s expression turned annoyed as well. “What, I have to run my plans through you?”

Minho sighed in aggravation, not happy with Hanbin’s defensive tone. “This is a little bit more than going to see a movie. I don’t like the idea of you spending the night out here with a bunch of guys I don’t know. Or like.” It’s not that Minho was jealous. He trusted Hanbin, because they’d been through a lot together. But he couldn’t help but feel hurt at seeing Hanbin out here (on what he thought of as their island) with his biggest rival, especially since Hanbin had turned down every invitation Minho had issued to him in the past month. It hurt and he couldn’t keep it out of his tone.

“You like Jinan-ie,” Hanbin answered, being deliberately argumentative.

“Sure, he’s fine, but Bobby? You know we hate each other.” Minho wanted to press the issue further, wanted to ask why Hanbin had agreed to come with Bobby but not with him. The argument was nipping at his tongue.

Hanbin knew he should have approached the situation with a little more sensitivity, but the guilt of flirting with Bobby all day was eating at him, pushing him to react defensively. “Well, he’s my friend, so that’s too bad.”

Minho turned his glare on Hanbin. “That’s a shit attitude to have towards your boyfriend. I’ve had you way longer than he’s been around.”

Hanbin glared right back. “You don’t get to tell me who I can be friends with.”

Minho dropped his glare. “Look, I don’t want to argue with you. I haven’t seen you in a week, so let’s talk about this later.” Minho wrapped a hand around the back of Hanbin’s neck as he leaned down for a kiss. Hanbin allowed it, soothed by the contact but still weighted down with a guilty conscience. It was stupid, really. He hadn’t seen Minho in a week—he ought to be enjoying the surprise encounter instead of instigating an argument. He relaxed more into the kiss, sliding his own hands up to cup Minho’s cheeks.

He pulled back and looked up to meet his eyes. “I’m sorry,” Hanbin apologized, leaving it open ended because he did feel the need to apologize for more than just being argumentative.

Minho was surprised with the apology—it was honestly rare for Hanbin to ever apologize for anything. He smiled before kissing him softly on the forehead. “I’m sorry too, babe.”

Hanbin smiled back and wrapped his arms around Minho’s waist. “I’m happy to see you.”

Minho grinned and wrapped his own arms around Hanbin. “You better be!” He gave him another kiss before pulling back and leaning down to pick up the ice where he’d dropped it. “Come on, let’s go get a drink.” Hanbin stuck close to Minho’s side, happily following him closer to the fire. As long as Minho didn’t start talking shit to Bobby, Hanbin had hopes that maybe he’d actually be able to get them to have a decent conversation.

Bobby watched them kiss, his stomach in knots. It was kind of annoying, really. He’d never wanted anyone as much as he wanted Hanbin—he’d never fallen for someone so completely. But here he was, watching Hanbin cuddle in someone else’s arms. He turned away from them, following Jinhwan over to a group by the fire.

“Jinan hyung!” came the greeting cry of Nam Taehyun. He’d been friends with both Jinhwan and Hanbin for nearly ten years. The friendship was a little odd, since Jinhwan had not grown up in their rich social circle. In fact, Jinhwan and Hanbin had only met because Jinhwan’s mother had catered a party for Hanbin’s parents once, and their mothers had developed an immediate friendship.

“Taehyun-ah!” Jinhwan called back, greeting him with a hug. “How’s it going?”

“Good, just decided to all get away for the night.” Taehyun reached down into the open cooler and pulled a beer out, offering it to Jinhwan. “Have a drink with me!”

Jinhwan accepted it. “Thanks. You ever meet Bobby off the field?” Jinhwan asked, formally introducing them.

“Nah, never had the chance. Then again we’re not exactly friends when we meet on the field, so why bother, right?” Taehyun regarded Bobby with an arrogant smirk that made Bobby feel like punching him. He still couldn’t understand how Hanbin had become close with someone like Taehyun. Bobby was also annoyed that Jinhwan was on friendly terms with him. Even though he knew they were childhood friends, Bobby was outnumbered right now, so he felt like Jinhwan ought to be on his side.

Jinhwan watched the two eyeball each other aggressively before shaking his head and elbowing Taehyun. “Don’t be rude,” he hissed at him.

Taehyun rubbed his arm before reaching down and plucking another beer from the cooler, holding it out for Bobby. Bobby wanted to turn it down on principle, but he knew Jinhwan would be angry at his overt unfriendliness. Besides, it was good beer, at least, expensive imported stuff (that Bobby and his friends could never afford for a party) so he figured he might as well have one.

He took it with a smile, pleased when Taehyun frowned. “Thanks!”

They were joined then by Jaewon (Bobby couldn’t help but stare at him for a few seconds, because Jaewon honestly had one of the most gorgeous faces Bobby had ever seen) and some other guy who was equally as gorgeous as Jaewon (if not even more so). Bobby didn't recognize the second guy, though, and he didn’t really look like an athlete.

“Jaewon hyung, you’ve meet Jinan hyung before, right?” Jaewon nodded, exchanging greetings, before Taehyun pointed to the stranger. “This is Kim Jinwoo, who you haven’t ever met!”

Jinwoo smiled at Jinhwan, but looked at Bobby in slight confusion. Bobby had no idea who Jinwoo was, but it seemed like Jinwoo knew who he was. He wasn’t sure whether he ought to be flattered or offended.

“How did you guys manage to drag Hanbin out here? Minho’s been trying to get him to come out for weeks now, but he always says he has to _babysit his sister_.” Jaewon asked, sarcastic emphasis making it sound like he didn’t buy Hanbin’s usual excuses. Bobby noticed the irritated look Taehyun threw Jaewon at the question. He wasn’t aware that Hanbin had been turning down invitations from his boyfriend to the island recently, and he couldn’t help but feel happy about the fact that Hanbin had come out with him.

“Hanbin hasn’t been lying, he has had to watch Hanbyul a lot lately. His mom had to fire one of the shop girls and hasn’t bothered replacing her, so she’s been pulling extra shifts.” Jinhwan explained, and it deflated Bobby’s excitement a little. Why didn’t he know that? If he wanted to get close to Hanbin, he should have made more of an effort to get to know his family too.

“That’s brutal,” Jaewon replied, though he sounded anything but sympathetic.

“It doesn’t matter anyway, you’ve been to one bonfire, you’ve been to them all!” Taehyun replied, before shifting his attention to Hanbin and Minho, who’d just joined them.

“Kim!” Taehyun yelled, reaching down to grab a beer to offer Hanbin.

“Nam!” Hanbin answered, reaching out to accept the can and pull Taehyun into a hug.

“Seriously, Taehyun?” Minho pushed past him to dump the ice into the cooler. “Can’t even let me get my boyfriend a drink?”

“Hey, he was mine before you got him!” Taehyun said jokingly, slinging an arm around Hanbin’s shoulders. “Don’t forget who introduced you two! If it wasn’t for me, Hanbin would have found himself someone better and you’d probably still be single.”

“Says the single guy,” Minho replied before grabbing himself a beer and replacing Taehyun’s arm with his own.

“Hey, I’m saving myself for Jinan’s sister,” Taehyun said, winking at Jinhwan. “How’s she doing anyway?”

“She’s recovering well after seeing your ugly face a few weeks ago, nice of you to check in.” Jinhwan’s sarcastic reply had them all laughing, Taehyun included.

It still felt weird to Bobby, though, being here surrounded by people he actively hated. He kept his eyes on Jinwoo, because he didn’t want to spend his time staring at Hanbin and Minho.

Hanbin’s eyes were on Jinwoo as well, but not out of appreciation. Before they’d met, Minho had dated Jinwoo for six months, and Jinwoo had been the one to end it. Hanbin couldn’t help but feel a tiny prickle of jealousy rear up at seeing Jinwoo here with the group. He’d never been invited to a single party that Hanbin had been at. Why was he here now? Had Jinwoo been coming to parties recently, ever since Hanbin had started turning down invitations? He tried to quell the jealousy but was having a hard time with it.

“Ey, Minho, go get the sausages!” Seunghoon, who’d just joined the group, yelled across the fire.

“I’m busy, go get them yourself!” Minho replied, shooting Seunghoon an annoyed look.

“Wow, my apology, I thought you’d be looking for an excuse to drag your little boyfriend off somewhere private for a few minutes, sorry for trying to help you out!” Seunghoon replied, and his comment made Jaewon spit his beer out, while the others laughed—everyone except for Hanbin and Bobby.

“Good point!” Minho replied, lowering his arm to wrap around Hanbin’s waist, pulling him closer. “Not that I need your help. I was trying to be social!”

“Not like you two really need privacy,” Jaewon commented sarcastically, earning him an annoyed look from Hanbin and a cocky shrug of the shoulders from Minho.

“Minho’s never been concerned with privacy,” Jinwoo casually stated, smiling at Hanbin.

Hanbin could barely keep the murderous look from his face, the low key jealousy of earlier flaring high now. He was tempted to offer a retort of some kind, but Minho pulled him away first. Hanbin only followed because he wanted to have a conversation anyway.

Minho pulled him on board the yacht, heading below deck to the kitchen area. “As you can see, nothing has changed in the past month!” Minho stated, not having picked up on Hanbin’s anger yet. He turned to kiss him, surprised when Hanbin pulled away. “What’s wrong?” Minho asked, concern in his eyes.

Hanbin stood quietly for a moment, arms crossed over his chest, seething. “Why is Jinwoo here?” He asked quietly, because he didn’t want to yell. He didn’t want anyone to know they were arguing—especially not Jinwoo.

Minho rolled his eyes at the question and heaved an irritated sigh. “I can’t be upset about you being here with Bobby, but you’re pissed about Jinwoo?”

“That’s different!” Hanbin replied. “Bobby is my friend; Jinwoo is your ex-boyfriend.”

“ _Ex_ -boyfriend, Hanbin!” Minho couldn’t believe they were having this conversation, especially not after Hanbin’s attitude from earlier.

“Why did you invite him?” Hanbin asked, barely restraining himself from asking if Jinwoo’s invitation had anything to do with Hanbin’s absence.

“I didn’t invite him,” Minho replied, “Jaewon did!”

That news shut Hanbin up, but it was out of shock. “Jaewon likes guys?” Hanbin asked, most of the anger disappearing from his voice.

Minho stared at him incredulously. “Yeah.”

“Since when?” Hanbin asked, unable to help but grin. He’d had a bit of a crush on Jaewon when he’d first met him, it was almost impossible not to with his smile, even if Jaewon was an arrogant asshole.

Minho’s expression darkened slightly at Hanbin’s response. After erupting in jealousy, Hanbin was choosing now to slyly suggest he was attracted to Jaewon? “Why do you sound so interested in Jaewon all of a sudden?”

Hanbin grinned and fixed his boyfriend with an apologetic smile. “I’m not! I was just curious, is all. I mean honestly, isn’t it a bit rare to have two guys out on the team?”

Minho didn’t respond. It was tiring, the way Hanbin would start arguments, only to leave them partway through just when Minho fully immersed himself in them, always forcing him to be the one to take a step back.

Hanbin felt bad the longer he looked at Minho, his boyfriend’s silence creating an extremely tense atmosphere. “Do I have to apologize again?” Hanbin asked.

Minho just shook his head. “Why does it seem like you’re always trying to start a fight with me lately?”

Hanbin frowned and bit his lip. “No I’m not,” he answered lamely, though he knew it was a lie.

Minho ignored it. “I know this past year’s been really tough on you, but you’re not supposed to take it out on me,” Minho replied, “ _I’m_ the one who’s been here for you through everything.”

Hanbin nodded, his anger replaced with guilt again.

Minho crossed his arms over his chest, trying hard not to react with too much irritation. “I know I like to call you my grumpy baby, Hanbin, but grumpy I can deal with. Angry, not so much.” Minho waited for a response, waited for Hanbin to say something. When he didn’t Minho couldn’t help but feel worried.

“Is everything okay with us?” He asked, reaching out to pull Hanbin into his arms.

Hanbin nodded, though part of him felt like maybe he ought to use this opportunity to bring up some things that were really bothering him. But then he thought about the fact that Jinhwan and Bobby were still out around the fire, waiting for him, and he didn’t want to take any more time than he already had. “We’re good.”

“Are you sure?” Minho asked, not entirely confident in Hanbin’s answer. “If we’re not, you need to tell me.”

Hanbin fixed him with an apologetic smile, meeting his eyes. “I mean it, we’re good. I know I haven’t been myself with you lately, and I’m sorry for that. It’s not you, though, it’s just life. I just miss how things used to be.”

That was enough for Minho, who pulled Hanbin in tightly and pressed his lips against his forehead. “I do too, babe. We’ll get through this, though. We just need to talk more.”

Hanbin nodded. “We will. I promise I’ll stop being so angry all the time. Just be patient.”

Minho grinned and shook his head. “When am I ever not patient with you?” He kissed Hanbin again before pulling open the fridge and grabbing the sausages from inside. “Alright, let’s get back out there before Bobby comes looking for you.”

Hanbin laughed at the comment, surprised Minho had brought him up. Peace offering perhaps? “Thanks for not being a jerk to him, by the way.”

“Did you think I would be?” Minho asked, grinning as he grabbed Hanbin’s hand. “I might talk shit about him behind his back, but I’ll be nice to his face. I promise.”

Hanbin smiled and felt mollified with everything that had transpired in the past few minutes. Minho really was patient with him, always quick to forgive and move on whenever they argued. Hanbin was lucky.

“I can’t make any promises about the others, though,” Minho said, grinning when Hanbin’s eyes narrowed. “So make sure Bobby’s well behaved. After all, he’s the one visiting our home turf, so the onus is on him to be polite.”

“Eh, Jinan-ie’s always been better at peace keeping.” Hanbin replied, which made Minho laugh.

“Okay how about this; if Bobby’s rude to us first, you owe me a blow job. If any of us are rude to Bobby first, I’ll blow you. Deal?” Minho let go of Hanbin’s hand, instead grabbing his hip and pushing him back against the wall.

Hanbin bit his cheek to keep from making any noise. _Fuck_ , Minho got to him so easily! He was almost embarrassed, really, at how quickly his body responded to him. Was he really that easy? A simple shove and an aggressive stare got to him?

“Not tonight,” Hanbin pleaded; even though he’d much rather just stay here at the moment. Could he really not spare ten minutes? Bobby had Jinhwan, and he was sure that Taehyun would keep anything really terrible from happening…

“Seriously, it’s been a week! You telling me you’re not dying?” Minho leaned into him, sliding his knee in between Hanbin’s legs and grinning. “Of course you’re dying, I knew it.”

“Hyung, please!” Hanbin whined, hating the fact that he was probably going to give in. He always gave in to Minho. He wanted to, but it felt weird with Bobby here. And really, if he’d spent all day flirting with Bobby, didn’t he owe Minho a little something? To make up for his guilty conscience?

Minho had a predatory grin on his face, not about to take no for an answer. He tossed the bag back on the table to free up his other hand, sliding it behind Hanbin’s neck. Two years in and he knew exactly how to play Hanbin to get what he wanted. “In fact, let’s skip the bet. I think you need a little something right now, don’t you?”

Hanbin shook his head. He didn’t deserve anything from Minho right now, not after today. “Let me do you instead,” Hanbin offered, guilty conscience at work.

Minho shook his head. “That’s not how this works, Bin-ah, you know the rules,” Minho brushed his lips over Hanbin’s ear, “rule number one: you always come first.”

Hanbin clutched at Minho’s sides, not even sure when he’d slid his hands under Minho’s shirt. “I hate you and your stupid rules!” Hanbin whined, his annoyed tone of voice matching the annoyed expression he was regarding his boyfriend with.

Minho laughed. “Ah, there’s the grumpy baby I know and love,” Minho said, “be a good boy for hyung and just do what I tell you?”

Hanbin knew he was screwed. “Fine. Just be quick about it?”

Minho laughed at him again. “You never last unless I tell you to, isn’t that right?”

Hanbin wanted to dispute that, wanted to say it was a lie.

But it wasn’t.

~

“Am I an idiot for thinking they’d actually just grab the sausages and come back? How long has it been now? I’m starving.” Seungyoon complained, taking another swig of his beer.

“Oh I’m sure they’re grabbing sausages, just not the kind you want to put in your mouth, Yoon!” Seunghoon replied.

“Seriously, I didn’t need to hear that!” Seungyoon groaned, punching Seunghoon in the arm.

“Minho’s probably got Hanbin on his knees right now!” Jaewon said, winking at Seungyoon.

Taehyun directed a glare at him. “Shut up, Jaewon!”

Jaewon just grinned back at him. “Calm down, Tae. I’m surprised we can’t hear them, actually. You know how loud Hanbin can get.”

“Seriously, Jaewon, shut the fuck up!” Taehyun’s grip on his beer bottle tightened, not in the mood for Jaewon’s shit. Not that Taehyun cared about Bobby, but he did care about Hanbin, and while the rest of them were used to teasing Hanbin and Minho, he didn’t think it was something Bobby was aware of, and Taehyun wasn’t about to let Jaewon talk shit about his best friend in front of someone he didn’t know.

“Explains why Minho keeps him around, at least,” Jaewon carried on, “I’ve been wondering why his parents didn’t make him dump Hanbin the second the news about his dad hit.”

“I’m gonna hit you if you don’t shut your mouth!” Taehyun was on the verge of exploding. The topic of Hanbin’s father almost never came up, at least not while Minho was around. Taehyun knew the others talked about it behind his back, knew it had alienated Hanbin from the majority of their group. He just couldn’t believe Jaewon would bring it up the second Minho disappeared, especially in front of Bobby.

“Calm down, Taehyun! Jaewon’s just talking shit as usual.” Seunghoon intercepted.

“Trying to impress Minho’s old flame must be hard.” Jinhwan sarcastically added. Just like Taehyun, Jinhwan was not about to be silent and let Jaewon talk about Hanbin. Unlike Taehyun, though, Jinhwan’s motives were entirely about Bobby. If Bobby really was as interested in Hanbin as Jinhwan thought he was, he didn’t want Bobby to have to sit and listen to Jaewon’s commentary on Hanbin’s relationship.

That brought a glare out of Jaewon, and a laugh out of Jinwoo.

Bobby watched it all with surprise. On one hand, he was _this close_ to lunging at Jaewon himself. On the other hand, he was surprised to see Taehyun so quick to defend Hanbin. Maybe he’d judged their friendship a little too harshly. He was, however, also feeling a little sick to his stomach, wondering what was taking them so long. Were they really messing around out of sight? Bobby was starting to wish he hadn't come.

“Ah speak of the devils themselves! You two get lost down there?” Seunghoon called out, grinning as he watched the couple make their way back from the boat.

“Got a little distracted,” Minho said with a grin, tossing the bag at Seunghoon.

“No kidding! How was it Hanbin, you still alive?” Seunghoon teased, before rummaging through the bag to get to the food.

Hanbin knew this was going to happen, but it didn’t stop him from being embarrassed about it anyway. He rolled his eyes and tried not to make a big deal out of the teasing. The last thing he needed was for them to keep it up with Bobby here. Hanbin really didn’t want him hearing their usual banter.

“He’s good, as always,” Minho replied, wrapping his arms around Hanbin and pressing a kiss into his neck. “I always take good care of my possessions.”

Hanbin couldn’t help the flare of irritation over the comment. “Excuse me?” He asked, his voice low and only meant for Minho.

Minho just kissed his cheek and ruffled his hair. “What are you getting upset for? I can’t brag about how good I am to you?” Minho thought it was cute, how embarrassed Hanbin usually got any time they came back to the group after taking time away together.

“He is good, isn’t he, Hanbin?” Jinwoo asked, eyes on the pair. “Don’t forget who taught him everything he knows.”

Hanbin couldn’t believe his ears. Was Jinwoo serious?! He was about to respond when Minho’s hands gripped him hard in warning.

“Ah, seriously, Jinwoo?” Minho replied with a laugh, not about to let Hanbin play into Jinwoo’s trap. Sometimes it was too easy to rile Hanbin up, and after their near fight earlier, Minho wasn’t in the mood to hear Hanbin start up again. This was supposed to be a fun night—he’d just gotten Hanbin off, for fuck’s sake! Why was he getting mad already? Minho wondered if it was because Bobby was here.

Hanbin kept quiet, but just barely. He knew Minho had the right idea in warning him not to explode, but it still got on his nerves. He’d have been fine had it not been for Jinwoo. Hanbin couldn’t help but look at him, eyes narrowed angrily. Jinwoo met his gaze with a challenge, daring Hanbin to respond. When he said nothing Jinwoo smirked and looked away, sliding an arm around Jaewon instead.

For some reason that just made Hanbin even angrier.

“Before you go any further, Jinwoo, I think you should be aware that Hanbin’s a really good boxer,” Taehyun joked, trying to keep his own temper in check, “so you might not want to get on his bad side.”

“So he’s good with his hands, then? Good to know.” Jinwoo replied, winking at Hanbin.

Minho kept his arm firmly around Hanbin, desperate to keep him quiet. “Ah, Jaewon, can you control your guest please?” He teased, hard stare directed at Jaewon. He relayed a threat with his eyes that he couldn’t speak out loud.

Jaewon disregarded it, though. “Eh, hyung’s older, he can do what he wants.” Jaewon smiled at Jinwoo, who grinned and shot a look at Minho.

“I like a guy who knows his place,” Jinwoo teased, “same can’t be said about you, Mino-ya.”

Bobby was seconds away from getting involved himself—this was ridiculous. He knew his own groups of friends loved to tease each other, and maybe he was just getting over-protective because it was Hanbin, but he felt like they were laying it on a bit too thick. Weren’t these people supposed to be Hanbin’s friends? Except that, with the exception of Taehyun, no one really seemed to be doing much to defend him. Even Minho was laughing.

“Are you guys always like this?” Bobby asked suddenly, deciding to divert attention away.

“24/7,” Seunghoon replied, “no one’s taking it easy because you’re here.”

“Well, no wonder why we kicked your ass last season, then,” Bobby replied, “you guys seem to enjoy attacking each other an awful lot.”

Minho grinned and looked at Hanbin. “Guess I shouldn’t have cancelled our bet, should I?”

Hanbin rolled his eyes and shoved Minho away. “Well he’s not lying, is he?” Hanbin drained the last of his beer and grabbed another from the cooler, grabbing a second to give to Taehyun.

“Awful ballsy, though, saying stuff like that in enemy territory!” Jaewon said, eyes on Bobby. “Keep talking and you might not be playing next season.”

Bobby grinned back at him, sizing Jaewon up. “Sorry, was that supposed to be intimidating? All I hear when I look at your face is a little kitten whining.”

Jaewon narrowed his eyes and took a step closer to Bobby. “Come say that to my face and my fist will fix those crooked front teeth of yours.”

Hanbin couldn’t help but grin—not that he wanted to see them fight, but he wouldn’t mind seeing Bobby put Jaewon in his place. He just wasn’t sure everyone else would keep out of it though. “Bobby hyung, remember your promise to me earlier?” Hanbin fixed his eyes on Bobby, pleading expression.

Bobby looked at Hanbin and smiled, heart fluttering slightly. “I promised you I wouldn’t instigate a fight with your boyfriend, which I haven’t!”

Hanbin grinned and nodded, looking briefly at Minho. “True. Carry on, then!”

Minho tried his best not to be bothered by the conversation—tried not to hear how Hanbin’s voice slightly dragged out the word hyung (the way it always did when they were alone together) tried not to be bothered about the idea of Hanbin making Bobby promise things to him. They were friends. He wasn’t threatened by Bobby. Bobby had nothing to offer Hanbin—nothing that Minho himself couldn’t offer.

If Bobby thought for one second that he was jealous of his friendship with Hanbin, Minho would never live it down. So he fought hard to act like it didn’t bother him. “Jaewon,” Minho started, directing a stare at his receiver, “don’t be stupid; look at Bobby, he’s twice your size.” Minho made himself look at Bobby directly, grinning at him in forced friendship. “Actually, on second thought, go ahead and fight him, you’ve been irritating tonight.”

Bobby grinned back at Minho—peace offering if there ever was one. “As much as I’d love to put him in his place, his looks are the only thing he has going for him, and I’d hate to take that away.”

Minho grinned at Bobby’s comment—he had a brief thought that, if things had been different, he and Bobby probably would have made great friends. But things weren’t different, and even though they were skirting around a truce at the moment, that didn’t mean that they’d stopped being enemies. They were simply united under a common banner.

“Just as well, your family probably wouldn’t be able to afford the ambulance cost to get you to the hospital,” Jaewon shot back.

Jinwoo rolled his eyes at the posturing, throwing an arm around Jaewon’s shoulders. “Hanbin, you wanna control your guest?” He said sarcastically.

Hanbin grinned back. “Hyung’s older; he can do what he wants.” Laughter erupted around the fire pit, and that pretty much signalled an end to the battle.

Minho finished the last of his beer and leaned down to retrieve another one, but he paused for a moment to lock eyes with Bobby, deciding to be extra polite to drive his promise home to Hanbin. He tossed Bobby another beer before getting one for Jinhwan as well.

“You should be taking care of your guests, Bin-ah.” Minho mockingly scolded Hanbin when he stood back up.

Hanbin just grinned and cuddled into Minho’s side. “Technically speaking, I’m actually a guest right now too.”

Minho laughed at the comment, slinging his arm tightly around Hanbin’s shoulders. “Well, lucky for me then that I already took care of you, no?” Minho whispered into Hanbin’s ear before kissing his neck.

Hanbin was glad for the dark and the fire, because he was sure that he was probably blushing at the comment. At least Minho hadn’t said it too loud. Hanbin was about to respond, but his roaming eyes fell on Bobby at that moment, and he couldn’t help but feel guilty. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was guilty about, though.

“So what are you guys actually doing out here, anyway?” Taehyun posed the question to Jinhwan, wanting to talk to Hanbin but not wanting to detract his attention from Minho. He thought he was too good of a friend sometimes.

“We just decided to have a weekend adventure. Turns out Bobby’s brother is just as obsessed with pirates as Hanbin.” Jinhwan answered, shooting a grin at Hanbin.

“You’re shitting me, right? You’re actually out here investigating the legend of Kony’s Island? That bullshit kids' story?” Minho laughed, unable to help himself. “I thought I told you to give that up ages ago, you nerd.”

Hanbin rolled his eyes, blissful happiness of moments ago buried in a sudden avalanche of irritation. “For the last time, it’s not bullshit. There’s a lot of historically accurate evidence to support the legends.” Hanbin explained.

“Sure there is.” Minho replied sarcastically. “Everyone gather round for a good bedtime story, courtesy of my six year old boyfriend.”

“Don’t tell me, you’re hoping to find the lost treasure in order to buy your way back into the upper class, right?” Jaewon interjected, which made the others laugh.

“Go suck a dick, Jaewon.” Hanbin replied, very quickly reaching the end of his rope. As soon as he said it, he felt Minho’s arm pull him in closer. The embrace looked affectionate, but Hanbin knew it was just Minho warning him to keep his cool.

“How many times do I have to tell you, jagiya, it doesn’t matter that you’re poor now. Be a good boy and oppa will take care of you.” Minho grinned and tried to kiss his cheek, but Hanbin pulled away.

“Not funny,” Hanbin replied, loud enough for only Minho to hear.

“You know, Minho, your boy’s got some wicked sharp cheekbones. I bet if you slapped a nice wig on him, he’d make a beautiful housewife.” Seunghoon joked.

“Oh I already know that, he’s a gorgeous princess with long hair!” Minho replied, and the others laughed.

Hanbin fought hard to control his temper, recalling his argument with Minho earlier, wondering if he was taking the teasing to heart too quickly. He really thought Minho deserved to get yelled at now, though. “Why are you talking shit? I’ve never worn a wig in my life.”

“Not while awake maybe,” Minho raised a suggestive eyebrow, “if only you knew the things I did to you while you were sleeping.” Fresh laughter met the comment, and Hanbin just stared at him in surprise.

“Yah, hyung! This is like, an entire foot over the creep line!” Taehyun yelled, trying not to laugh. It was kind of funny, but at the same time he knew it annoyed Hanbin, and Taehyun would always defend his best friend, no matter who was on the attack.

Minho just grinned and kept his arms tight around Hanbin, who was trying to slip away from him. He leaned his chin on Hanbin’s shoulder, feeling a little sorry for making fun of him, but Hanbin did ask for it with the Kony’s legend shit he always brought up. Minho honestly found the obsession bordering on embarrassing.

“Ah you’re right, Tae! Forgive me, babe?” Minho asked, though his tone didn't sound very apologetic. Hanbin didn’t reply verbally, but he crossed his arms over his chest and glared into the fire. Minho just grinned. “Ah look at that face!” He exclaimed, index finger and thumb pinching his boyfriend’s cheek. “Such a cute little grump, isn’t he?”

Hanbin was tempted to elbow Minho in the ribs, but that wouldn’t really accomplish anything. Instead he just continued to stand in silence, irritated beyond belief. How had he ever found Minho’s teasing to be charming? When they were fresh in their relationship he’d happily played into it, but now it just made him angry.

It wasn’t until Jinhwan spoke up that Hanbin got a reprieve. “Minho, quit being a jerk.” While Jinhwan wasn’t as friendly with Minho as he was with Taehyun, they were still friendly enough for him to call him out. Luckily Minho always tended to heed his warnings in these situations.

“I’m honestly sorry,” he cooed into Hanbin’s ear, “I got carried away.” He pulled back a little, but kept his arm around Hanbin’s shoulders. “In order to make it up to you, I hereby grant you permission to tell us one story about Kony’s Island, and I promise I won’t make fun of you for it.”

Hanbin remained silent, not in the mood to let Minho off the hook. As usual, Jinhwan played peacekeeper again.

“You’re an idiot, Minho; be nice to your boyfriend. After all, we found an old map today, and it led us to an underground waterfall!” Jinhwan wanted to change the topic, and he knew the waterfall would likely get everyone’s attention off of Hanbin.

“What? Where?” Minho asked, intrigued already. “This is the cool sort of stuff you need to be talking about!”

“I’m not telling you.” Hanbin answered. It would take a lot of grovelling for him to show Minho the waterfall. Maybe he never would—maybe he’d just keep it for himself and Bobby instead.

“Oh come on,” Minho pleaded, not surprised with Hanbin’s unwillingness to part with the information. He’d get it out of him eventually, though. He always did. “What about the map? Where did you find it?”

Hanbin wasn’t about to answer, but Jinhwan did instead. “We broke a candle holder in the old pirate house, pulled the map out of it.” He purposefully avoided looking at Hanbin, certain he was glaring daggers at him right now. Truth be told, though, as much as Jinhwan didn’t want Hanbin to be upset, he thought that maybe it was a good thing for Bobby to witness firsthand how dysfunctional Hanbin and Minho could be at times.

Minho laughed. “Seriously? I’m sure I saw this exact scenario in a movie when I was eight.”

Hanbin just shook his head and glared at Minho. “It’s legit, and it’s yet one more piece of evidence that all of the rumours and stories are true. You don’t have to believe it, but don't discredit it.”

Minho grinned at Hanbin’s comment, amused that he always took it so seriously. “God, sometimes I forget I’m dating the world’s biggest history nerd. You’re lucky you’re so hot to compensate for your embarrassing dorky behaviour.”

“You’re lucky I have low standards.” Hanbin retorted, though it just made Minho laugh.

“Ah, why do I still bother with you, huh? Embarrassing one minute, insulting the next,” Minho said, before sliding his hands down Hanbin’s back to grab his hips and pull him closer. “Oh right—when you’re not using your mouth to embarrass or insult me, you’re using it to worship me.” Minho grinned, laughing at the glare Hanbin directed at him. Maybe tonight wasn’t the best time to tease him, but he couldn’t help it.

Hanbin glared at Minho amidst the laughter from his boyfriend and fellow football team members, not amused in the slightest. This was a big part of his recent irritation with Minho, this two-faced behaviour. Always such an arrogant asshole in front of others, like he had something to prove despite being the top of the social food chain.

“Hey since you’re hunting for treasure, take this,” Minho said, reaching up to unclasp the gold chain he was wearing, instead putting it around Hanbin’s neck. “There, now you have some real gold for comparison.”

“Fool’s gold, more like,” Hanbin muttered, still annoyed.

Minho stared at Hanbin for a moment, his expression softening, his hands clasping Hanbin’s shoulders. “It looks good on you; keep it.”

Hanbin wanted to refuse it, was going to, but that would only end in disaster. He’d already acted like enough of a brat in front of Jaewon and Jinwoo, he didn’t want to make his relationship with Minho look more rocky than he already had. He touched the necklace and felt guilty again. He was partly tempted to stay here for the night, to try and make up for the awkward behaviour he’d exhibited. On the other hand, he was angry and irritated and wanted to get as far away from the beach as possible and forget he’d ever come.

“We should get going back to the others,” Jinhwan said, after a quick look at Bobby. “You coming, Hanbin?”

Before he could answer, Minho was whispering in his ear. “Stay for a bit,” he said with that deep voice that Hanbin loved. Hanbin looked over at Jinhwan and Bobby, briefly meeting the latter’s eyes before Bobby looked away.

It just made Hanbin feel guilty again. “Nah, I should go.” Staying would only make things awkward for him on both fronts.

“Come on, babe,” Minho whispered again, hands gripping Hanbin tightly, “have something to eat at least.”

“We have our own stuff,” Hanbin answered, though in reality eating was the last thing on his mind right now. “Really, it’s dark, we gotta go set up tents and everything.”

Minho sighed, feeling like there was more to the refusal than Hanbin was admitting. “Alright, fine,” he replied, “but let’s get together as soon as you get back?”

Hanbin nodded. “Just us, no one else?” He whispered back, looking up to meet his boyfriend’s eyes.

“Just us, baby.” Minho replied before pressing his lips softly to Hanbin’s and wrapping his arms around him. “Alright, go have fun and don’t do anything stupid. I don’t want you getting hurt looking for fairy tales!” Minho couldn’t help but tease him one last time.

Hanbin found it aggravating. “Yeah. See you then.” He went to pull away but Minho pulled him back, grinning into his neck.

“Love you babe,” Minho whispered into his ear.

Hanbin met his eyes and honestly wasn’t sure what he felt at that moment in time. “Me too,” he answered quickly, averting his eyes so he missed the hurt look in Minho’s that he knew would be there, squeezing Minho’s hand and finally pulling away, catching up with Jinhwan and Bobby who were waiting by the edge of the beach.

Hanbin wanted to look back and wave to him one last time, shout goodbye to Taehyun too, but his nerves wouldn’t let him, and instead he walked quietly beside Jinhwan, stomach in knots.

He felt like he’d just left the beach with more questions than answers.


	7. The Crow's Nest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bobby overhears an important conversation between Jinhwan and Hanbin, which leads to a very important moment between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly going to be Double B, with some Jinhwan at the beginning too! It'll go back to more of an OT7 vibe next chapter. :)

With everything set up in the tent, Hanbin nudged Jinhwan’s arm. “Come for a walk with me?”

Jinhwan fixed Hanbin with a curious look—though he’d done an admirable job of covering it when they returned to the others, Jinhwan knew Hanbin was upset after their moment on the beach. He was dying to talk to him about it anyway. “Sure, let me get a flashlight first.”

Flashlight in hand, the pair left their tent and approached the fire pit. Bobby, Chanwoo, and Donghyuk sat around the fire, their tent the first that was finished. Junhoe and Yunhyeong were still finishing with theirs.

“Hanbin and I are gonna go for a walk, we’ll be back soon!” Jinhwan called out to the group.

“If you’re going back to the beach can you grab beers for the rest of us?” Junhoe called out teasingly.

“We are not going to the beach,” Hanbin stated defensively, hoping he didn’t sound as upset about the suggestion as he felt.

“You’re too young to drink anyway, Junhoe!” Jinhwan yelled back. He could tell from Hanbin’s tone that he was clearly going to be in for a rather unpleasant conversation, but the others didn’t need to know that.

“So are you, hyung!” Junhoe replied.

“Yoyo, can you hit him?!” Jinhwan teased back, before waving to the others and linking arms with Hanbin as they set off down a path away from their site.

Bobby looked at them longingly, slightly hurt that Hanbin had only asked Jinhwan to go with him. He watched them walk away, turning his attention back to the fire. This was not how he’d envisioned this night going. Everything had been perfect until the beach. Why had he insisted on going? He still couldn’t get the image of Minho kissing Hanbin out of his mind. Now Hanbin was going off with Jinhwan alone? What if they were going back to the beach? What if Hanbin had made plans to meet up with Minho?

Chanwoo nudged his arm and leaned over. “Go after them, hyung, what are you waiting for?”

Bobby looked at his brother in confusion. “What?”

“Jinhwan hyung and Hanbin, go follow them.”

“Why the fuck would I do that?” Bobby asked.

Chanwoo grinned. “You have a thing for Hanbin, I know you do, I’m not blind.”

Bobby quickly shook his head, a little terrified at what Chanwoo had said. “I do not.” _Fuck!_ How had Chanwoo found out? Unless he’d been super obvious? Bobby thought about all the times he’d been close with Hanbin today, all the things he’d said out loud. _Fuck_. He had been obvious.

“Bullshit, hyung. Besides, Hanbin obviously likes you, anyone can see that, so you’re missing a golden opportunity.” Chanwoo didn’t know what the walk was about, but he’d noticed that Hanbin hadn’t quite been as happy when they’d gotten back from the beach. He’d almost seemed annoyed.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, shut up.” Bobby didn’t want to hear what Chanwoo had to say. After all, Chanwoo hadn’t been there on the beach. Hadn’t been there when Hanbin had disappeared for a good ten minutes with his boyfriend, hadn’t seen them kissing. Sure, there had also been a good ten minutes of Minho irritating Hanbin and being an asshole, but they’d seemed close when they left.

Junhoe spoke up from across the fire, sitting down beside Donghyuk now that his tent was set up. “Oh come on, hyung, Hanbin has been all over you this entire time. No wonder he sounded annoyed when his boyfriend showed up.” Not that Junhoe made a habit of paying strict attention to others, but Hanbin was easy to read.

Chanwoo grinned, grateful to Junhoe for chiming in. “See? If Junhoe picked up on it, then you know it’s been obvious. Hanbin’s been in a bad mood ever since you guys came back from your visit, so he’s probably going to complain about Minho the whole walk, so go and eavesdrop.” Bobby still looked ready to protest, so Chanwoo pushed his shoulder. “Go on! You’ve been watching him like a lovesick puppy for a year, I’m sick of it. Go do something about it.”

Bobby relented and hopped up, glad it was dark so none of them could see him blushing. This was embarrassing. He couldn’t believe everyone had seen through him completely! Were they really right about Hanbin, though? Had they picked up on something Bobby had been unable to see because he’d been too focused on having watched Hanbin kissing Minho?

Bobby thought back to the beach again, replaying things in his head. Everyone had teased Hanbin a lot, and Hanbin had seemed pretty annoyed at the time. Was he really complaining about Minho’s behaviour? Could Bobby be that lucky? He picked up their trail easily, hanging back far enough to not be noticed, but still close enough to overhear.

“I don’t know what happened, he was always like that but it never used to bother me. Now I can’t stand it, it makes me so mad.” Hanbin frowned and kicked at a rock on the path, irritation still brimming.

“I feel like you never say anything good about him lately,” Jinhwan said, walking next to Hanbin.

“That’s not true!” Hanbin protested, though in reality he knew Jinhwan was correct. There had been a time when Hanbin couldn’t stop gushing to Jinhwan about how perfect Minho was, but lately the gushing had been replaced with complaints.

“Hanbin-ah, answer me honestly,” Jinhwan said, “are you happy with Minho?”

Hanbin sighed. “Sometimes?” He looked up from the rocks, glancing briefly at Jinhwan. “Other times I look at him and wonder why I still bother.”

“Why do you?” Jinhwan asked, hoping Hanbin would give him an honest answer.

Hanbin grinned at Jinhwan’s question. “He’s really good in bed?” A moment of silence followed and then they both laughed.

Bobby frowned and wondered what the hell he was doing. This was so stupid, listening in on a private conversation about a topic that was none of his business. It was just as stupid as pining over someone else’s boyfriend.

“Anyway, I know people change and relationships change, but when things are good with us, they’re really good. I’m not giving up on things because I’m not happy all the time. Relationships take work, I know that.”

Jinhwan frowned. Hanbin had a point, but Jinhwan wished he didn’t. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Minho--he actually found him quite charming when he wanted to be--but the problem was that Minho could also be an arrogant, stuck up, controlling asshole, and Jinhwan thought Hanbin deserved someone better.

Like Bobby.

“Okay, sure, but that’s more for married people. We’re still in high school, there’s no need to have that kind of attitude towards it now.” Jinhwan said, hoping Hanbin wouldn’t get defensive and close himself off.

Bobby had had enough of listening to Hanbin talk about Minho, pushing himself into getting over his stupid crush as soon as possible since Hanbin didn’t seem to want to contemplate ending things, and had just made the decision to turn around and head back to the others to drown his sorrows in hot dogs and S'mores. Hanbin’s next question stopped him before he could.

“Why isn’t Bobby dating anyone right now? I don’t think I’ve heard him talk about anyone the entire time I’ve known him. It just seems weird. He’s had girlfriends before, right?” Hanbin asked.

Jinhwan smiled at the question, pleased that Hanbin had suddenly started thinking about Bobby. “Yeah, he’s had a few girlfriends before. He’s had a boyfriend too.”

“Bobby likes guys?” Hanbin asked suddenly, taken by surprise.

“Bobby likes everyone.” Jinhwan replied teasingly.

“I didn’t know that.” Hanbin said quietly, and Jinhwan waited, knowing it would probably sound like a setup if he pushed too quickly.

“I guess it just never came up in conversation then,” Jinhwan said, dying to prompt Hanbin further.

Hanbin was silent for a moment before continuing. “So, why isn’t he dating anyone, then? I mean, he could easily have anyone he wanted, right? He’s popular, captain of the football team. Why’s he single?”

Jinhwan grinned and pounced on the question. “Why, are you interested?”

“I have a boyfriend,” Hanbin answered, but Jinhwan noticed that it wasn’t actually an answer.

“Sure you do, but you’re not happy.”

Hanbin sighed in irritation. “We’ve been over this already.”

“If you were single, would you date Bobby?” Jinhwan asked.

“I’m not single, so your question is irrelevant.” Hanbin answered, though he sounded a little flustered.

“You could be single, though.” Jinhwan didn’t think twice about pressing the topic now.

“Why does it suddenly sound like you want me to date Bobby?” Hanbin asked, stopping and turning to face Jinhwan.

Jinhwan laughed and slung an arm around Hanbin’s waist. “I just think you guys would make a good couple, that’s all. You know I like Minho, really, I do. But honestly, I think you guys are past your expiration date. I think Bobby would be good for you.”

Hanbin didn’t answer, and Jinhwan kept pushing. “Just look at tonight! Do you think Bobby would ever talk about you the way Minho talked about you? Minho was barely even saying anything when Jaewon and Jinwoo were going at you. Bobby would never let anyone talk about you like that. Just think about it, okay? I know you guys, all three of you, and I honestly think you’d be a lot happier with Bobby.”

Hanbin was still quiet, and Bobby knew that Hanbin was only ever silent when he was deep in thought about something. Was he thinking about what Jinhwan had said? Was he thinking about what it would be like, dating him instead? Bobby stopped following them then, instead turning around and heading back to the others.

If Hanbin was actually thinking about the possibility of dating him, then Bobby would show him exactly how perfect he was for Hanbin for the rest of their trip. He’d be such perfect boyfriend material that Hanbin wouldn’t be able to resist him.

~

Bobby made it back to their campsite still grinning happily, set in his plan to woo Hanbin away from Minho. He’d have to be smart about it though. He plunked down next to Chanwoo and reached for a stick and the bag of hot dogs, spearing one to roast over the fire.

Chanwoo didn’t miss the look on his brother’s face. “So hyung, what did you hear?”

“Don’t ask,” Bobby replied, “don’t fucking ask.” While he was pleased with Chanwoo for pushing him to follow them, he wasn’t about to spill the details of his potential love life to his little brother. That was just awkward.

“Oh come on! Tell me!” Chanwoo pried, curious. Clearly Bobby had heard something to give him hope.

“Fuck off, Chanwoo, stop asking!” There was no fire behind Bobby’s comment though, and instead he just kept wearing a smile while he roasted his hot dog.

It wasn’t long before Hanbin and Jinhwan came back, Hanbin looking much happier than he had when they’d left. Bobby glanced at them, unable to keep a big smile off his face. Hanbin smiled back and sat down next to him, looking around for a stick.

“Where are the sticks, I’m starving!”

Before anyone was able to hand one of the sticks to Hanbin, Bobby was doing one step better. “Here, have this one, it’s ready now!” He offered his hot dog to Hanbin, hoping his stomach wouldn’t betray him by growling too loudly.

“Are you sure?” Hanbin asked, grabbing a bun from the bag by his feet.

“Yeah, I already had one while you guys were out, that would have been my second, so you eat it now and I’ll make another,” Bobby urged, desperately hoping that no one would bust him on his outright lie.

Hanbin smiled and slid the hot dog off into the bun, handing the stick back to Bobby. “Thanks, hyung.”

Bobby smiled back before turning to retrieve another hot dog from the bag at Chanwoo’s feet, immediately meeting his brother’s teasing eyes. He mouthed _shut the fuck up_ at him before sliding another hot dog on the stick. He was starving, but step one of winning Hanbin over from Minho was putting Hanbin’s needs before his own. His stomach could wait another three minutes.

~

An hour later (after they’d eaten three hot dogs a piece, a few S’mores, and a dozen marshmallows) Bobby was stretched out next to Hanbin on the grass, eyes on the night sky. Jinwhan was currently pointing out different constellations and galaxies, normally something Bobby wasn’t interested in, but Hanbin was seemingly fascinated, so Bobby was fascinated now too.

“Hold on, what did you say that one was again?” Hanbin asked suddenly, grabbing Jinhwan’s arm.

“Dragon,” Jinhwan answered.

“And it’s next to the stag?” Hanbin asked excitedly, and Jinhwan nodded. “Where’s the map?” He sat up and looked at Chanwoo, who was sitting by the fire.

“Why?” Chanwoo asked, pulling the map out from his bag.

“What was that clue again? _When scales chase the tail, all will be revealed_? Well look at the constellations! Scales being the Dragon, tail being the Stag!”

Chanwoo gasped in excitement, smoothing the map open over his knees. “Moonlight, you’re thinking?” He said, as Hanbin got to his feet and hurried over.

“It has to be! Don’t you think?”

Bobby looked over at Jinhwan, fighting the urge to laugh. It was cute, the way Hanbin was getting all excited. Bobby still thought the whole thing was stupid, but he wasn’t about to say that out loud.

Jinhwan scooted closer to Bobby, whispering in his ear. “If Minho were here right now he’d make fun of Hanbin over this, and tell him it’s a bunch of bullshit.”

Bobby grinned at the comment. “I kind of followed you guys before and heard your conversation about me.”

Jinhwan grinned back. “Good! So go work your magic and charm his socks off, he’s ready to break up with Minho. Just be believable.”

Bobby grinned and got up, heading over to the two. Chanwoo saw him coming first and sighed. “Bobby you better not be coming over to tell us we’re wasting our time.”

Bobby held up his hands placatingly. “I’m not, I swear! I’m honestly curious about what this clue is. Did you guys even find your tree earlier?” He remembered hearing about the tree back on the beach, but hadn’t paid much attention when they’d gotten back.

Chanwoo rolled his eyes, not buying it, but Hanbin looked up at him with hopeful eyes, and it made Bobby’s heart pound madly in his chest.

“Really? You’re interested?” Hanbin asked, and Bobby nodded.

“Yeah, I guess you’re rubbing off on me.” Bobby smiled at him and realization dawned on Chanwoo’s face at what his brother was doing.

“Okay well, here’s what we know so far. The first part of the clue said ‘ _At the root of the eagle’s talon, look to the crow’s nest_ ’. We found the eagle’s talon, which was the root of this tree here, but we’re not sure what the crow’s nest is supposed to mean. We figured it must be something up in the tree, like a treasure chest or something, because crows like shiny stuff, right? But then we have the second part, ‘ _When scales chase the tail, all will be revealed_.’ We had no idea what that meant, but Jinan-ie just pointed out that the constellation of the dragon is next to the constellation of the stag, so that has to be it, don’t you think? I thought maybe the moonlight might show something on the map, but that’s a little too fantasy. But it has to mean something!” Hanbin looked back at the map, frowning.

Bobby studied it for the first time, wanting to find Hanbin’s answer. “Wait, isn’t crow’s nest what they call that thing on boats, you know where you climb up really high? Maybe we’re supposed to climb the tree? Maybe the moonlight is gonna reflect off something?” Bobby looked back at Hanbin, certain they’d thought of the meaning already. They’d probably dismissed it, but at least it would show that Bobby was trying to take this seriously, wouldn’t it?

Hanbin and Chanwoo both shared a sharp intake of breath at Bobby’s comment. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that!” Hanbin shouted, leaning on Chanwoo’s shoulder and whining.

“Me too! I can’t believe Bobby hyung figured it out! Let’s climb up?” Chanwoo said to Hanbin, who grinned excitedly.

“Hold on, Chanwoo you’re not climbing up there!” Bobby said, winking at his brother’s annoyed face. “If you fall out, mom will murder me.”

“I’m going up,” Hanbin said challengingly, as though he expected Bobby to tell him no too.

“Sure you are,” Bobby replied, “I’m gonna go with you. Two sets of eyes, you know.”

Hanbin smiled at the unexpected offer. “Okay, let’s do this.” Hanbin went to the base of the big tree, looking up into the branches. “It looks pretty sturdy, we should be okay.”

“Ugh, be careful, both of you! Take a flashlight!” Jinhwan yelled, a little concerned at what his idiot friends planned to do now. He wasn’t about to stop them, though, because Bobby was trying really hard for Hanbin.

“We’ll come back in one piece, I promise,” Bobby said teasingly, getting ready to boost Hanbin up into the lower branches. This was already winning him points.

They climbed up higher into the tree, Bobby boosting the lighter Hanbin up to test out higher branches first, Hanbin helping to pull Bobby up to follow him. They worked well as a team, carefully making their way up into the old tree. They finally reached the top, where the branches curved to resemble the crow’s nest of a sailing ship, a fact that didn’t escape Hanbin’s attention.

“This has to be legit,” he said, pointing out the interesting shape of the branches.

“If I were a pirate I would definitely like this tree,” Bobby agreed. He couldn’t believe he’d actually figured out the clue! That must have won him huge potential boyfriend points.

“Boost me up?” Hanbin asked, and Bobby complied. It was hard continually boosting Hanbin, only because he kept having to touch his ass, and he couldn’t help but wonder if Hanbin was thinking about what it felt like to have his hands on his ass instead of Minho’s. Whose hands did Hanbin prefer?

Hanbin wormed his way into the tangled branches, looking back at Bobby. “Come on up, it’s really sturdy up here.” Bobby climbed up, surprised when Hanbin turned out to be right. They could easily both stand up in the top of the tree without fear of branches breaking.

“This is crazy,” Bobby said, looking down in awe. “It’s so nice up here.” It was kind of a little scary as well, but Bobby wasn’t about to admit that.

“I know, I can’t believe the tree grew like this, though!” Hanbin said happily, his eyes scanning the area. “Okay so, I don’t know what we’re supposed to find, but let’s look for anything out of the ordinary.” They stood back to back, scanning different areas of the island. Bobby tried to pay attention and really look, eager to continue pleasing Hanbin.

After a few minutes of searching, Hanbin suddenly spoke. “Bobby? Thanks for actually showing interest in this. I know you think it’s bullshit, but, it’s fun, right?”

“I don’t think it’s bullshit.” Bobby replied.

Hanbin laughed. “It’s okay, you don’t have to lie and pretend you believe in it.”

“No, really. I mean okay, I’m very skeptical, but if I said it was bullshit before, it’s only because I was teasing Chanwoo. Anything is possible.” Bobby hoped he sounded believable.

“You’re a good brother, Bobby,” Hanbin said warmly, and it made Bobby’s heart thud. “I know you didn’t want to spend your weekend out here, but it’s been a good time, hasn’t it?”

Bobby was glad they were back to back right now. “It’s been awesome, actually! I’m happy you talked me into it.”

Hanbin laughed again, leaning his head back until it touched Bobby’s shoulder. “It’s just nice to be here with someone who doesn’t repeatedly tell me how stupid my ideas are.”

Bobby’s stomach was tying itself in knots, the hot dogs, marshmallow, and chocolate churning. “You mean Minho?” Maybe it was stupid to bring him up, maybe it would make Hanbin suspicious. Luckily it didn’t.

“Yeah. I just keep thinking, if he were here, he’d be laughing at everything and telling me how childish I’m being for believing in this stuff. He’d never let me climb the tree either, especially not at night. So it just,” Hanbin paused for a moment, blinking back the tears that were suddenly building up in the corners of his eyes, “It’s just nice, I guess. I just wanted to say thanks, for everything so far.”

Bobby couldn’t help it--he turned around and hugged Hanbin. “I’d never tell you that your ideas are stupid and childish. I mean, you’re so passionate about them, it makes believing in them that much easier.”

Hanbin relaxed in Bobby’s arms, smiling the second he felt them wind around him. He thought back to his conversation with Jinhwan. He hadn’t said anything to him, but the truth was that Hanbin knew exactly how good Bobby was for him, he knew that Bobby was a better match overall than Minho was. But he’d come to that realization when he thought Bobby was still straight, so it was tough now to accept it for truth because it just made him feel like he was cheating on Minho.

But it felt amazing standing here with Bobby’s arms wrapped around him, promises of support in his ear instead of cackles of derision. But just as soon as that warm feeling spread through his limbs, he felt guilty as well. He was still dating Minho, he still had feelings for him. Hadn’t he just told Jinhwan earlier that he wasn’t ready to give up on him yet? And here he was, weighing the pros and cons of dumping him for Bobby.

Hanbin turned around and smiled at Bobby. “Thanks, I mean it. You’re a good friend, I’m lucky to have you. But we’re supposed to be looking for something; otherwise we climbed up here for nothing.” Hanbin really didn’t want to pull away from Bobby’s arms, but the longer he let Bobby hold him, the more tempted he was going to be to try kissing him. Whatever his decision was going to be regarding his relationship, he couldn't do anything about it behind Minho’s back. That wasn’t right.

Bobby nodded, though even if they didn't find anything relating to the map, he wouldn’t say this climb had been for nothing. It had been the first big step in winning Hanbin’s affection.

They turned back around and Bobby looked off to the left, his eyes catching on something glinting. “Hanbin!” He called, pointing it out.

“That has to be it!” Hanbin cried, eyes on the phosphorescent glow coming out of the mouth of a cave.

“It’s so bright,” Bobby said in awe, in disbelief that they’d actually found something worth seeing, “What do you think it is?”

“I don’t know for sure, probably some type of algae that glows in the dark? I think I remember seeing it in a documentary or something.” He was pretty sure that area of the island was where a deep gorge ran through, the river having carved its way through the rock. “Let me get out the map,” Hanbin said, and Bobby helped him hold it while Hanbin took whatever sort of measurements he could to determine how to get there, jotting them down on the parchment. He looked pleased as he rolled it back up.

“Do you know how to find it?” Bobby asked.

“I think so,” Hanbin said, “it should be simple enough. Let’s go back down?”

Bobby was pleased they’d found it, but he wasn’t ready to go back to the others yet. “Let’s stay for a few minutes? Look at the stars, now that we found our clue?” He really hoped Hanbin wouldn’t think he was trying to set anything up. It was a spectacular view, after all. Once in a lifetime, even.

Hanbin thought that staying was definitely a bad idea; it definitely wasn’t going to help him out at all in terms of keeping his emotions loyal to his boyfriend for the rest of the weekend. But Bobby’s smile was so genuine that it was hard to say no. He was right, anyway. Hanbin definitely didn't want to pass up the opportunity to gaze out over the island. “Five minutes,” he offered jokingly, leaning on the branches of their nature-made crow’s nest.

“Ten?” Bobby joked back, leaning next to Hanbin, debating whether he should put his arm around Hanbin’s shoulders. After all, Hanbin didn’t know that Bobby had overheard his conversation with Jinhwan. Didn’t he usually put his arm around Hanbin any chance he got? It would be more suspicious right now if he didn't. So before he could talk himself out of it, Bobby slid his arm around Hanbin and pulled him in close.

Hanbin was at war with himself--the warm, happy feeling that was threatening to spread over his entire body at Bobby’s arm battling it out with his guilt. Maybe, just for now, he’d give the guilt a rest and let himself be happy under Bobby’s arm? It’s not like they had a lot of room up here anyway. So Hanbin relaxed and put his own arm around Bobby’s waist, leaning in close to him, resting his head against Bobby’s.

Another perfect opportunity for a kiss. He seemed to keep having them with Bobby.

Bobby couldn’t keep the smile off his face, elated when Hanbin leaned into him. He just had to play it cool, he couldn’t overreact and push Hanbin. He had to let it happen naturally. They stood there together for a few minutes, and Bobby’s eyes took in the dark expanse of trees beneath them and the bright stars above them, whose light was reflected in the ocean water that surrounded the island. Magical moment.

“Hey, Hanbin?” Bobby didn’t bother trying to look at him, because he didn’t want Hanbin to see how ridiculous his smile was right now. “I’m really glad we found that map. Today has honestly been one of the best days of my life, me and Chanwoo both.” He’d thought long about the words, and he meant them.

“Minus that awkward half hour at the beach, right?” Hanbin replied, because joking was easier than telling Bobby that he felt the same way.

Bobby grinned and laughed at the answer. “This view is so cool I already forgot about that?” Even with the awkward half hour on the beach, Bobby still thought today was one of the best days he’d ever had.

Hanbin laughed back, his heart lighter than it had been in months. “Honestly? Me too.”


	8. Of Brothers and Impending Disasters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An assortment of OT7 interactions on their way to their next destination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies this got neglected for a bit! A few other things kind of took over my time, but I'm back to working on this full time now. So expect updates on a more regular basis from here on out. :)

The following morning found sun streaming into Bobby's tent, a patch falling directly across his cheek. He shielded his face with his arms, groaning into his bicep. He didn't even want to look at the time, certain it was far earlier than any of them had any right to be awake at during holidays. Along with the melody of what Bobby was certain was a hundred birds invading the tent, he could make out the rustling sounds of someone packing up their gear and he slowly uncovered one half of his face to see Donghyuk already dressed and shoving the last bits of his sleeping bag into his rucksack.

Bobby glanced over at Chanwoo, feeling better when he saw that his brother was still nestled in his sleeping bag. He and Chanwoo weren't lazy—Donghyuk was just a keener.

He thought about the previous night, of his trip up the tree with Hanbin. It almost felt like a dream, thinking about it the day after. It was like a scene out of a movie or something, the way they'd stood together under the stars, cuddled close at the end. God, he'd wanted to kiss Hanbin _so bad_ last night, he thought he deserved a medal for talking himself out of it. It had been worth it, though, because Hanbin had divulged so openly that he was aware that Bobby gave him the kind of support that his own boyfriend denied.

That was the sort of thing that kept his hope alive, that made Bobby determined to do everything in his power to win Hanbin's full affection. He thought it was great progress for one day.

“Ugh, is it time to get up already?”

Bobby uncovered his face again, his eyes meeting those of his brother, who was cocooned in his sleeping bag, nothing but his face showing.

“Looks like it,” Bobby replied, stretching his arms out over his head.

Chanwoo regarded him quietly, curious eyes watching as Bobby slowly got himself moving. Chanwoo wanted to ask him about Hanbin, wanted details about what had happened up in the tree. Well, not _details_ really, because Bobby was his brother and that was kind of gross. But he'd noticed that both Bobby and Hanbin had exuded an aura of excitement that wasn't only limited to finding their next location when they'd come down. The way Bobby's eyes had stayed on Hanbin for the remainder of the night had gotten Chanwoo thinking. He'd gone to bed without asking, though, because he didn't want to do it in front of Donghyuk.

But it was quiet now, and they were alone.

“So, hyung, how are things with Hanbin?”

Bobby felt his face flush at the enquiry, annoyed that a simple question from his own brother affected him this badly. He told himself it was only because Chanwoo usually never pried into his love life. It was unusual.

“It's good! Last night was really good,” Bobby was at a loss for a better answer. What was Chanwoo even looking for, anyway? Did he want details or something? 

“Good,” Chanwoo replied, not moving from his cocoon. “You're welcome, by the way.” 

Bobby couldn't believe his brother's nerve! First thing in the morning and he was teasing him already? “Shut up and get dressed!” He turned and threw his pillow at Chanwoo, who got it full on in the face. That made Bobby feel slightly better. “Come on, we have a lot of walking to do.” 

Chanwoo finally sat up, throwing the pillow back at Bobby with a laugh. “I'm glad you took my advice and followed your heart, hyung!” Now that he'd started with the teasing, Chanwoo couldn't help but continue.

Bobby suddenly dropped the shirt he was pulling on, lunging at his brother instead and knocking Chanwoo back onto his air mattress. “Stop harassing me about my love life!” He threatened in a loud whisper.

“Don't you mean lack of a love life?” Chanwoo teased again, squealing when Bobby resorted to tickling him.

“So disrespectful, Chanu-ya! Treat your hyung better!” Bobby was grinning through it all, and didn't stop even when the front flap of their tent was opened.

“Ah, you two! Get up, we have to leave soon!” Donghyuk whined, before flinging himself against Bobby's back and trying to pull him off of Chanwoo.

Bobby let himself be pulled off, but soon reversed the hold Donghyuk had on him and had him pinned against the floor of the tent, reaching back to grab a pair of his socks.

“Eat my socks, dork!” Bobby shoved the socks into Donghyuk's mouth, laughing as Donghyuk flailed against him.

Chanwoo just took the opportunity to emerge from his sleeping bag and pull on clothes, leaving Donghyuk to Bobby's further abuse. That was the way things usually went, after all. Donghyuk had been Chanwoo's best friend for so long that Bobby considered him a second little brother, and sometimes he found himself harassing Donghyuk more than Chanwoo. Donghyuk tended to have better reactions, after all.

Outside the tent Hanbin already had a small fire going, having been the first one packed and ready to go. By the time he'd finished with his gear Jinhwan had still been sound asleep, so Hanbin had left him to go prep for breakfast. Usually, when he was back in the city, Hanbin would gladly sleep until well after noon. But out in the woods, with the fresh air and birds, Hanbin absolutely loved the early morning hours.

So he'd set about building up a fire, because breakfast was important on a day like today where they had a lot of walking to do. When the fire was going well he placed a pot of water over the flames, boiling it for rice. It wasn't long before he was joined by Yunhyeong, who sleepily emerged from his tent with a loud yawn before making his way over to join Hanbin by the fire.

“Sleep well?” Yunhyeong asked him, and Hanbin nodded.

“Great sleep, actually. It was an exciting day yesterday, so I was tired. I always sleep really well in the woods, though. How about you?”

“Good, except for all of Junhoe's complaining! He whined about having to sleep on the ground. Tried to barter me for my pillow.”

Hanbin laughed and leaned forward to check on the water. “Why doesn't that surprise me?”

Yunhyeong grinned and put his arm around Hanbin's shoulders when he sat back down. “Hey, I just wanted to say that you're doing an excellent job as our expedition leader! You really do know everything out here, it's pretty amazing.”

Hanbin smiled at the praise. “Ah thanks, hyung! I love being out here, honestly it feels like a second home. I'm really happy we all came out together.”

“Me too! Wish we'd thought about doing this earlier. We should do it more often, I think it's good for everyone. Even Junhoe, though he complains.”

“Next time we'll stick to somewhere with paved trails,” Hanbin joked.

“Good idea! Anyway, you need any help with breakfast?”

Hanbin grinned and directed a smile at Yunhyeong. “I thought you'd never ask!”

They prepped the morning meal together while they waited for the others to wake up, and Yunhyeong was tempted to ask Hanbin about Bobby. Not that he wanted to interfere, more that he wanted to make sure Hanbin was okay. He'd noticed the flirty behaviour between the pair of them the day before and it had him slightly concerned. It was no secret that Bobby was seriously into Hanbin, and while maybe it was none of his business, Yunhyeong wanted to make sure Hanbin wasn't getting himself into more trouble than he could handle.

But he kept quiet for now, even though it was a golden opportunity. Sometimes he ran his mouth a little too much, and he didn't want to risk upsetting Hanbin when they still had another full day and night out here. He'd just quietly observe and step in if things got out of hand.

They were joined by Donghyuk, who came to them full of complaints about Bobby and his out of control teasing. Even though he complained about Bobby constantly, Yunhyeong knew that Donghyuk would sorely miss Bobby's teasing if he ever stopped. Ever since Donghyuk's father had passed away the three of them (he, Bobby, and Jinhwan) had always made a concerted effort to support their younger friend, and even though Bobby was the one who teased Donghyuk the worst, he was also the one that Donghyuk leaned on the most when he actually did have concerns. Yunhyeong thought their brotherly connection was cute.

Just as they finished cooking the rice and ramyun the others started trickling out of their tents. Bobby was the first to emerge, taking Yunhyeong's spot on the log they were using as a bench, his arm quickly finding its way around Hanbin's shoulders. Yunhyeong watched as the pair made eyes at each other, and he wondered if they realized how obvious they were being in front of everyone.

Maybe he ought to talk to Jinhwan about it after all.

~

“What exactly are we looking for, anyway? I don't even know what a gorge is.” Junhoe walked next to Chanwoo, biting his tongue to keep from complaining about all the walking they were doing. That's why he was asking questions about their destination, to stave off the complaints he wanted to make instead.

He and Jinhwan had a bet.

Jinhwan had bet Junhoe that he couldn't go two hours without complaining about something, and Junhoe was determined to win. The stakes? A day of slavery, basically. He couldn't wait to win and boss Jinhwan around.

“I don't know the scientific way to explain it, but it's like a big tall wall of rock? Like water carved out a path through the rock?” Chanwoo tried to explain it, because he knew what it looked like in his mind's eye.

“Like a road through the rock?” Junhoe asked, and Chanwoo nodded.

“Yeah, something like that!”

“Is the ground flat there?” Junhoe asked, because if he had to climb over a bunch of rocks he was going to _lose it_.

“I don't know? Honestly you'd be better off asking Hanbin hyung, he probably knows.”

Junhoe rolled his eyes and waved off the suggestion. “Yeah but then I'd have to listen to a geography lesson because he'd give way too much detail.”

“I think you mean geology, not geography,” Donghyuk cut in, dropping back to join them.

“Whatever.” Junhoe replied, rolling his eyes again.

Donghyuk and Chanwoo grinned at each other, laughing at Junhoe's irritated response to being called out on his mistake. Junhoe was about to fire off a retort before catching Jinhwan's eye.

Right. _The bet._

Instead he kept quiet and took the teasing. He wasn't going to break that easily!

Jinhwan walked next to Yunhyeong, disappointed that Junhoe hadn't allowed himself to be goaded into a complaint. He'd crack soon enough though, Jinhwan was sure of it. Complaining was akin to breathing for Junhoe.

Yunhyeong and Jinhwan were walking at the back of the group, and Yunhyeong's eyes were currently at the front, on Bobby and Hanbin. They were walking so close together their arms constantly brushed against each other, and they both kept glancing at each other when the other wasn't looking.

“So, how did the beach go yesterday, anyway? How did you manage to keep Bobby from getting jumped?” Yunhyeong decided to open the conversation easily, and he actually was curious about their beach trip with Hanbin. Bobby had a hated rivalry with Minho that pre-dated Hanbin, after all.

“Bobby was very well-behaved,” Jinhwan said with a grin, “Minho actually kept the group in check. Hanbin got the brunt of everyone's teasing last night. Bobby was pretty safe.”

“Really? How did they manage to not come to blows? Hanbin's calming influence?” Yunhyeong joked, because Hanbin was anything but calming the majority of the time.

Jinhwan laughed at the question. “Funny you mention that, because usually being around Hanbin just makes Minho that much more likely to fight, protective oppa instincts coming out.”

Yunhyeong laughed at the comment, half because of what he'd said and half because of the cutesy tone he'd said it in. “I bet Hanbin hates that.”

“Oh it irritates him, but he gets cute when he's irritated, probably why Minho does it to him.” Jinhwan knew for a fact that was a factor in Minho's behaviour around Hanbin. Back when they first got together, the behaviour actually hadn't bothered Hanbin at all, but over the course of their two years together, Hanbin had changed while Minho hadn't.

“You know, I honestly think Minho and Bobby would make really good friends,” Jinhwan said, “not that it will ever happen because they're such good rivals, but honestly they'd get along perfectly. I always thought so, but seeing them interact last night made me sure of it.”

Yunhyeong nodded, wondering how he could go about bringing up the topic of Bobby and Hanbin. He wanted to get Jinhwan's take on it, but he also wanted to warn Jinhwan against pushing things that shouldn't be pushed. Because it wasn't only Bobby and Hanbin that were openly flirting with each other—it was Jinhwan pushing them together too.

When Yunhyeong didn't speak for a bit Jinhwan turned his head to try and catch his eye, but then he noticed the thoughtful look on his face that usually preceded a lecture. “What's on your mind?” Jinhwan asked, curiosity eating at him.

Yunhyeong looked at Jinhwan in slight surprise. “What do you mean?”

“You look like you want to say something.” Jinhwan pushed, though he was pretty sure that he knew what Yunhyeong wanted to talk about. He was very perceptive about people, usually the first to pick up on his friends' crushes and developing feelings.

Yunhyeong's eyes travelled from Jinhwan back to Bobby and Hanbin, who were still huddled close together, talking and laughing. Was he reading too much into it, though? Hanbin was a naturally touchy person, and Bobby was as well when he was friendly with someone. Maybe he was just reading too much into things. Bobby knew Hanbin had a boyfriend. He wouldn't actively try anything, would he?

“Ah it's nothing,” Yunhyeong shook his head, deciding on silence once again. It was still early in the day, after all.

~

“Seriously, Hanbin, this reminds me so much of Assassin's Creed 3! I swear I've seen this exact area in the game, everything is so similar!”

Hanbin grinned as he listened to Bobby ramble on about some video game he'd never played before. “Mm, is it? I wouldn't know.”

“Seriously, I think you'd actually like it. It's mostly an open world thing, like you don't have to follow the storyline all the time? You can just run around in the woods and hunt animals! I did that one day for four hours, just running around hunting things, collecting shit, harassing the guards.”

“When you say collecting shit, you don't mean actual animal droppings, do you?” Hanbin couldn't help but tease him.

“ _Hanbin!_ What kind of games do you think I play?” Bobby whined, knocking into his shoulder. It made Hanbin laugh, which in turn made Bobby's heart hammer in his chest. God but Hanbin had the cutest smile Bobby had ever seen!

“I don't know? That's why I'm asking!” Hanbin replied, grinning at him.

“Anyway, back to the topic at hand, I don't mean animal droppings! There are things scattered around everywhere, like eagle feathers, and you have to find them. It's fun! Chanu yelled at me one time when that's all I was doing, _hyung why can't you just play the fucking game properly?!_ ”

Hanbin laughed again because it honestly wasn't hard to imagine. Outside of football, Bobby never really seemed to take much seriously, video games included. “Well I can't blame Chanu, that's a crazy amount of time to spend just wandering around doing nothing. Why don't you go out in the actual real woods instead?”

“What real woods? You know where I live, tell me what woods I can get to that isn't a few hours drive away?” Bobby countered, and Hanbin looked like he was considering his point. “Besides, I can't shoot a bow and I don't know how to hunt, so all I could do is walk around.”

“Good point,” Hanbin allowed.

“Plus you can actually run around in the trees! Seriously that's like the coolest part! You can tree walk, it's cool as shit. You should come over and watch me play some time, you'll see for yourself how fun it is.”

Hanbin grinned and linked his arm with Bobby's without thinking about it. “Sounds dreamy.”

Bobby laughed at his response. “Don't mock me, I bet you'd honestly enjoy it!”

Hanbin smiled and had to admit that he actually was tempted to say yes, just to appease him. But at the same time he couldn't help but feel weird about it, feeling guilty to be making plans with Bobby. Then again this was hardly romantic—they were talking about a video game. A day ago and he wouldn't have felt bad at all. But now it almost felt like cheating because he knew Bobby was interested in him.

“Alright fine! But you have to make me food if I'm gonna watch you playing some game.”

“Deal!” Bobby said, unsure if they were actually making legit plans or not. He really did think Hanbin would enjoy the game, though. Despite being a few years old it was a visually stunning game. “You know what, I'll show you Far Cry too, the newest one is mind blowing it's so gorgeous. I mean the action is super cool but you'll really like the scenery.”

Hanbin couldn't help but laugh. He couldn't believe how cute Bobby was being over a video game. “Alright, whatever you say!”

“Hyung you gotta show him Skyrim too, the night sky alone is worth buying the game for!” Chanwoo piped up from a bit further back, unable to help but add in his thoughts. Hanbin was very much _not_ a video game person, but he was very much an explorer, and Chanwoo thought the games were great for exploration, especially when the game's scenery was so vastly different from your own.

“Ah Chanu, not you too!” Hanbin groaned.

“No he's right! You'll see, the sky changes every night, and sometimes it lights up with these awesome auroras, like the sky's all blue and purple and red and green, it's gorgeous! It's like what you'd see way up north! You'd never see a sky like this in Korea.” Bobby elaborated.

“Are you guys seriously talking about video games?” Junhoe asked, disdain in his voice. But just as he was about to comment further, there was Jinhwan's gaze, on him like a hawk, waiting, and Junhoe bit his tongue and looked at his watch. Still over an hour to go! This was torture.

“Shut your hole, June! I don't recall inviting you into this conversation.” Bobby glared at him over his shoulder, though it was a good natured glare. He was aware of Jinhwan's bet and didn't mind trying to help his best friend win it.

Junhoe just shook his head and rolled his eyes and wanted to pat himself on the back for not even muttering a retort to himself under his breath. He was not going to let Jinhwan win their bet.

As they carried on walking the sun rose higher in the sky and the temperature climbed, and since they were currently walking in an open field there was no shade to grant them a reprieve. They stopped at one point to slather on sunscreen, and when Bobby took off his shirt to facilitate the process and never bothered putting it back on, Hanbin couldn't keep his eyes averted. Bobby's upper body was gorgeous (his whole body, but Hanbin had _a thing_ for chests and arms) and even though it was cheesy and lame, he still thought that “carved from stone” was the perfect way to describe Bobby.

When they started the walk up again Hanbin found himself with Junhoe for a walking companion, surprised by his sudden interest in their surroundings.

“The walls of the gorge are entirely granite, millions of years old. It was just a big huge chunk of rock, but over time it got broken up by basalt coming up from the Earth's core, but because the granite was so much colder it kept the basalt from becoming an actual lava flow, so instead it just got forced up through cracks in the granite.”

Junhoe listened intently, appearing every bit the interested student in Hanbin's lesson. But what he was actually doing was trying to distract himself from complaining about the heat by listening to Hanbin talk. He was paying attention, of course, but he'd probably forget everything in an hour's time.

Jinhwan watched them, letting it go on long enough until he was sure Junhoe was dying of boredom. He looked at his watch—only twenty minutes to go for their bet. Time to amp it up.

“Don't be flattered, Hanbin, Junhoe doesn't actually care about your geology lesson. I just bet him that he couldn't go two hours without complaining about something, so he's using your lecture to pass the time.”

Junhoe levelled Jinhwan with an irritated glare, carefully choosing his words as he rebutted Jinhwan's accusation. “I care about it, I'm seriously interested!”

Jinhwan grinned. “I can't believe you'd use your hyung like this! Look at him, he's so excited to share his knowledge with you and you don't actually care. Don't even try to deny it either, we all know what you're like.”

Junhoe's fingers gripped the straps of his rucksack, squeezing tightly in order to alleviate an ounce of the irritation he wanted to unleash on Jinhwan. “I would never do that to Hanbin hyung!”

Hanbin narrowed his eyes at Junhoe. “What's the gorge made out of?”

Junhoe's eyes widened in a slightly panicked look, because despite paying attention to everything Hanbin has said, his mind was drawing a blank. “Uh, rock?” He answered weakly, because it wasn't _technically_ wrong.

“What caused it to crack?” Hanbin further probed, suspicion set that Jinhwan was telling the truth.

“Lava?” Junhoe answered, though he felt like that wasn't technically correct either.

Hanbin shot Junhoe an annoyed look before punching him in the shoulder, annoyed that he'd spent the past while sharing information that hadn't actually been received.

“OW! That hurt!” Junhoe whined, rubbing at his shoulder. Seconds later though and his face dropped and he looked hurriedly at Jinhwan. “That doesn't count!”

“A complaint is a complaint!” Jinhwan crowed in delight, before linking his arm through Hanbin's. “Thanks for your help, Bin-ah!”

“What do you win?” Hanbin asked.

“June's my servant for the rest of the day,” Jinhwan divulged, “he has to do whatever I tell him!”

“Can you tell him to slap himself for wasting my time?” Hanbin suggested, and Jinhwan laughed.

Junhoe, however, wasn't having it. “I was not wasting your time, you just caught me off guard!” He whined. “The gorge is made out of granite, and it got broken up by basalt that would have turned into lava but the granite was too cold! See I _was_ paying attention!”

“Alright, I guess we can let him off the hook,” Hanbin grinned at Jinhwan.

“Fine, fine!” Jinhwan agreed. “But that was your _one time_ , though! Anything else I say, you have to do for the rest of the day!”

Junhoe rolled his eyes and wiped his hand across his forehead. “Whatever! How long until we get out of the sun? This heat is fucking _killing_ me.”

~

They officially stopped for lunch three hours later. Everyone had wanted to stop earlier but they'd decided to keep going until they could reach tree cover again, desperate to get out of the sun. The meadow they'd been walking through only had smaller fruit trees, too small to block much of anything. They had all plucked a few apples, though, and Jinhwan had made Junhoe cut his up into bite sized chunks for him before they continued on their way.

When they finally reached thick tree cover again everyone collapsed in relief in the shade, sprawling on their backs. Hanbin set his pack down and sank into the grass, leaning back against an old maple tree. His eyes naturally settled on Bobby, who was currently stretching up against another tree, and Hanbin stared open-mouthed at Bobby's back, the muscles clearly visible. Both Bobby and Minho had amazing shoulders, crafted from years of football practice.

Hanbin tried to distract himself with his pack, because they technically were stopping for lunch, but he couldn't help but stare at Bobby. He really hoped Junhoe would yell at him to put his shirt back on now that they were out of the sun, because Hanbin did not want to get caught staring again.

When Bobby finally stopped stretching and squatted down to rifle through his own pack, Hanbin finally selected some of his own rations: bread, cheese, and dried fish. Seconds later though and there was Bobby, sitting down next to him (still with no shirt on).

“Wanna try my beef jerky?” Bobby asked him, eyebrows raised and grin wide.

Hanbin stared at the stick of meat Bobby was actually offering him, though of course his mind was on something entirely different. He almost felt guilty about it before meeting Bobby's eyes again and seeing the downright lecherous gaze Bobby had settled on him. It made Hanbin laugh, and he reached out for Bobby's offer.

“As long as you're offering, I'll gladly test out your meat.” Hanbin couldn't resist carrying on the innuendo, winking at Bobby in return.

Bobby grinned back and leaned closer to Hanbin until their shoulders were touching. “I am beat after that walk in the sun! I really hope I didn't get burned.”

“Well if you did, it's your own fault for taking your shirt off!” Hanbin chastised him.

“It was hot! My pecs were suffocating.” Bobby winked at him and Hanbin nearly choked on the meat, a result of laughing while chewing. Bobby thumped him on the back and offered him some water, which Hanbin gratefully took.

“Thanks,” he said, coughing one last time. “Anyway, you really should be careful out in the sun, it's important to stay covered up.”

“Are you saying you have a problem with me walking around shirtless?” Bobby teasingly asked him, knowing that maybe he was toeing a line, but seeing Hanbin blush at the question suddenly made it worthwhile.

“No!” Hanbin replied, maybe a little too enthusiastically, he thought. “But your skin might!”

Bobby grinned and looked down at his chest. “I'm sorry, boys,” he directed at his chest, before grabbing both sides of his pectorals and pushing them together and replying to himself in a high pitched voice, _“It's okay!”_

Hanbin collapsed into a fit of giggles at the display, leaning against Bobby and laughing into his shoulder, too caught up in the absurdity of Bobby making his chest speak to think about what he was doing.

Bobby couldn't help but laugh too, slinging his arm around Hanbin's shoulders and pulling him closer while they both continued to laugh over his own stupid actions. When they calmed down enough Bobby leaned over and picked up Hanbin's fish, sniffing it and wrinkling his nose.

“How can you eat this stuff?”

Hanbin grabbed it back from him and chewed off a small bite. “It's good!”

“Seafood's all disgusting,” Bobby retorted, “you're better off sticking to eating my meat.”

Hanbin nearly choked again and Bobby couldn't help but laugh. Okay, maybe that one had been a bit forward, but he couldn't help it. Besides, Hanbin thought he was funny. That's all that mattered!

Hanbin remained leaning against Bobby, face pressed into the meat of his shoulder. He knew he ought to move, knew he ought to untangle himself from Bobby. But he wanted to stay right where he was and he wanted it so bad! Bobby's arm was a nice heavy weight across his shoulders and Hanbin could feel Bobby's heart beating. After spending the past few hours walking in the sun, all he wanted to do right now was fall asleep just like this, head pillowed on Bobby's chest, with Bobby's arm around him tightly. Hanbin was a sucker for falling asleep in Minho's arms, and Bobby's physique was so similar to his boyfriend's.

So even though he knew he ought to move, Hanbin stayed right where he was, and he closed his eyes and let Bobby hold him for a moment. Just to see what it was like.

Just to see if it felt different.

To see if it felt better.

~

Two hours later and they'd stopped again for another brief rest. According to Hanbin they were close to the gorge, not only based on distance but also based on the prevalent amount of granite they were now walking across.

Donghyuk was laying on his back, looking up through the trees at patches of bright blue sky. It was beautiful, but sometimes it made him think about his dad, how much he probably would have appreciated this very view. He'd always held a firm belief in the concept of heaven, comforted with the idea of his dad watching him from above. Sometimes, when he was alone, he'd look up at the sky and talk to him, tell him about everything he was missing out on.

He wanted to tell him about their trip, about the map and the hunt, but he was hesitant to do it with everyone else around. It wasn't that he thought the others would make fun of him for it, or at least he didn't think they would. Junhoe might but he wouldn't mean it maliciously, and Donghyuk knew him well enough to know when he meant to insult and when he didn't. As tough as Junhoe liked to pretend he was, he usually never meant any harm.

A shadow fell across his face and he looked up to see who was creating the obstruction—Bobby. Donghyuk huffed in irritation.

“Am I bothering you?” Bobby asked, standing directly over Donghyuk and doing his best to annoy him.

“Yes! You're blocking my view.”

“Of what? The trees?” Bobby asked, laughing. “They're all around, just look somewhere else!”

“The sky, you idiot!” Donghyuk whined. Usually he enjoyed it when Bobby teased him (though he would never, not in a million years, ever tell Bobby that) but at the moment he just wanted him to move. He was still too caught up on thoughts of his dad to feel up to teasing.

“Didn't you get enough of it walking through that meadow?” Bobby asked, but he moved, laying down on the grass next to Donghyuk.

“Wasn't looking at it then,” Donghyuk replied, instinctively moving closer to Bobby.

Bobby linked his arm through Donghyuk's, his protective older brother sensors suddenly on alert. “Why do you wanna look at it so bad anyway?”

Donghyuk shrugged. “Just thinking.”

“About what?” Bobby asked softly.

Donghyuk curled a bit closer into Bobby's side. “My dad.”

Bobby understood now and patted Donghyuk's arm. “Talking to him?”

“Kinda,” Donghyuk admitted, “I usually do it out loud, you know? Makes it feel a bit more real? I know it's childish and kind of dumb--”

“No it's not,” Bobby interrupted, “it's totally not. I think it's cool, actually, it probably helps more than not talking at all, right?”

Donghyuk smiled in relief at Bobby's comment. “My mom always told me I should do it when I was younger, she said he could always hear everything.”

“Man I hope not! There are some things dads should not be hearing!”

“Ugh, Bobby!” Donghyuk couldn't help but laugh, though he still punched him.

Bobby grinned and willingly took the hit. “So what are you telling him, anyway?”

“Well, I wasn't telling him anything yet, but, you know just about our trip? About the map--”

“Don't tell me, I've been here for it all! Go on and tell him. Unless you wanna be alone?” Bobby realized he might have been intruding on Donghyuk's alone time, but the way Donghyuk clutched at his arm told him otherwise.

“No! No you can stay,” Donghyuk was actually happy for the company. “I usually don't do this with other people around, but, I think he might like it?”

“Think he remembers me?” He'd known Donghyuk's father before his death, since Donghuk and Chanwoo had been best friends since they'd started school.

“Probably, you were always a memorable person.” Donghyuk felt ridiculously grateful to Bobby at the moment for normalizing his method of coping. Not just normalizing, he supposed, but joining in as well.

Bobby looked up at the sky. “Hey Donghyuk's dad, I don't know if you remember me but it's Bobby Kim! Don't worry about little Dong Dong, he's got some pretty cool guys looking out for him.”

Donghyuk couldn't help but laugh at Bobby's greeting, even though a tiny little part of him that he was desperately trying to ignore also kind of felt like crying—in a good way, of course. “Hey dad,” he started quietly, “have this crazy little adventure to tell you about!”

~

“June you seriously need to work on your massage skills!” Jinhwan whined before yanking his foot out of reach. “I think you're crippling me!”

Junhoe just laughed. “As the saying goes, if you do it wrong the first time, no one will ask you to do it again!”

“I don't think that's actually a saying!” Jinhwan replied in a huff, rubbing his own foot.

“It is now, I just made it up!” Junhoe laughed before laying back against his pack, hands behind his head.

Jinhwan slid his shoe back on and stood up, spying Hanbin sitting by himself. He kicked Junhoe for good measure before wandering over to join Hanbin, flopping down beside him as he repacked his bag. Despite the poorly-given massage, Jinhwan had spent the entirety of their break bossing Junhoe around and it had left him in a very playful mood. He thought it only natural that Hanbin ought to be his next target.

“Hanbin-ah! I have a question.”

Hanbin finished with his bag before looking at Jinhwan, assuming the question was something related to their destination. “What?”

Jinhwan's grin was full of ill intentions, though. “Who's got a better body—Bobby or Minho?”

“Bobby,” Hanbin answered automatically, though he wished he hadn't. Everyone had been asking him questions about their hike that he'd been able to give easy answers to, and it left him feeling almost conditioned to answer right away, which had just bit him in the ass.

“Surprise, surprise,” Jinhwan replied, “you seem to have been staring at Bobby an awful lot today.”

“Well, he's walking around shirtless, what am I supposed to do?” Hanbin replied, a little more defensively than he meant. He wanted to downplay the question and act like it wasn't a big deal, but unfortunately he was still a little hung up on feeling bad about staring to begin with.

“I'm sure if you asked him to walk around without his shorts he'd be more than happy to oblige,” Jinhwan nudged him, not noticing Hanbin's uncomfortable reaction to his teasing.

“Such a comedian,” Hanbin replied, wishing that Jinhwan would just drop it. His guilt about staring was already consuming, he really didn't need to hear Jinhwan pointing it out.

“Seriously, he'd probably walk around naked if you asked him to.” Jinhwan carried on, hoping to get a rise out of Hanbin.

“Probably.” Hanbin replied, voice tense as he stood up suddenly. “I uh, gotta go talk to Chanwoo.” He didn't look at Jinhwan as he left, too annoyed with him. Why couldn't Jinhwan see how difficult this was for him? They'd just discussed his relationship with Minho the night before, and now just because he'd admitted that he thought Bobby was attractive, it was suddenly open season for teasing him about it? He knew Jinhwan didn't mean it maliciously, but Hanbin couldn't help but allow the comments to compound on the guilt he was already feeling.

Because it wasn't just staring at Bobby that he'd been doing. It was the touching, and the cuddling, and the constant comparing. Even though Hanbin wasn't doing anything wrong, he still felt like he was cheating on Minho just by looking at Bobby. He really wished Jinhwan would see that.

Jinhwan frowned as he watched Hanbin go, wondering what the problem was. Hanbin never got upset at teasing—at least not from Jinhwan.

“What was that about?” Yunhyeong sank down next to Jinhwan, eyes on Hanbin as he joined Chanwoo.

Jinhwan grinned and winked at Yunhyeong, still playful despite Hanbin's reaction. “Just grilling him on who's got a better body between Bobby and Minho.”

To Jinhwan's surprise, Yunhyeong frowned. “Kind of cruel, isn't it?”

Jinhwan waved the comment off, not deterred by Yunhyeong's lecture finally coming to fruition. “Oh come on, have you seen the way he looks at Bobby? He's so obvious.”

“He has a boyfriend, Jinan, someone you're supposed to be friends with. Stop trying to play Cupid for someone who's not even available. It's not right.”

Jinhwan bristled at Yunhyeong's scolding tone. He supposed there was some truth to it, but at the same time he didn't mind being selfish. Hanbin and Bobby would make the perfect couple. Yunhyeong wasn't as close to Hanbin as he was, he didn't know all the ins and outs of his current relationship. As far as Jinhwan was concerned, his opinion held more weight in this situation.

“I appreciate your concern, but trust me on this. Hanbin isn't all that happy with Minho anymore--I would know, I've been there during the entire relationship. It's at the end, I'm just encouraging him to do what's best for himself, that's all.”

Yunhyeong wasn't having it, though. “Well he doesn't seem to be all that happy with you interfering either. If he wants to break up with Minho and date Bobby instead, you need to let him make that decision himself. Stop pushing him.”

Jinhwan met Yunhyeong's gaze, challenging it. Yunhyeong almost made it sound like he was doing something wrong—which he wasn't. Was he? “I'm just trying to help my two best friends get together, okay? Maybe you're just not close enough to see how important it is to them.” 

“I've known Bobby just as long as you have,” Yunhyeong cut in, “and I might not know Hanbin as well as you do, but I know what I see, and I see someone who's clearly feeling guilty about developing feelings for someone when he's still in a relationship with someone else. You're not helping Hanbin, Jinan. You're making him feel worse.”

Jinhwan cringed at the accusation, defensively seeking to offer a retort, but his eyes fell on Hanbin, whose body language was all tense and stiff as he spoke with Chanwoo, and it was like a pin had suddenly popped the balloon that was floating his own personal dreams about seeing his two closest friends get together. He was silent for a moment as he watched Hanbin, feeling like a huge jerk.

He sheepishly met Yunhyeong's eyes. “You're right, and I'm sorry,” he started, “that was mean of me to say, about Bobby. I know you're just as close to him as I am.”

Yunhyeong was silent for a moment before putting his arm around Jinhwan's shoulders. “It's okay, I forgive you. I know you say things you don't really mean when you're feeling guilty.”

Jinhwan couldn't help but grin—the comment was painfully accurate. “Look at that, you practically know me better than I know myself!”

“Unfortunately,” Yunhyeong replied, earning himself an elbow to the ribs from Jinhwan.

“Thanks for speaking up,” Jinhwan said, “I think I got a little too caught up in my own feelings.”

“I get it, honestly, I do. It would be awesome if Hanbin and Bobby hooked up; I mean I think we've all noticed how into Hanbin Bobby has been this past year. I've never seen him act like this about anyone before.”

Jinhwan smiled and nodded his agreement, glad they felt the same way about that at least. “Yeah, I think it's safe to call him obsessed.”

“I mean I knew something was up months ago when we went to Jennie's party and he kept putting off Minseo.”

Jinhwan laughed at the mention. “Oh man, I forgot about Minseo! You're right, he would have killed someone to date her two years ago. He barely even spoke to her that night, even though she was practically all over him.”

“Instead he kept talking to Hanbin all night, so I knew something was going on with him.” Yunhyeong had never said anything to Bobby about it, even though he'd been tempted to tell him to stop being so obvious.

“Ah well, hopefully it works out. But you're right, I should give Hanbin some space, I probably have been too pushy.”

Yunhyeong smiled, relieved Jinhwan had taken his criticism so well. Sometimes it made him grumpy and moody, so Yunhyeong had been hesitant to say anything. “It'll work out, I'm sure of it. They've had too many movie romance scenes this weekend already, so it's fated.”

“Don't say that!” Jinhwan laughed. “Things go wrong in movie romances all the time.”

Yunhyeong grinned and looked pointedly at Jinhwan. “Usually because of meddling friends and family members.”

Jinhwan grinned. “Point made. I'll keep my nose out of it.”

“Maybe go apologize to him too? Before Bobby notices he's upset and takes it upon himself to cheer him up?”

“Good point. Thanks again, Yoyo. You're a better friend than I deserve!”

“I know!” Yunhyeong grinned and watched as Jinhwan beelined for Hanbin, seconds later and Hanbin's previously stiff frame was relaxed and relieved as Jinhwan whispered in his ear.

One near disaster taken care of. Still one left.


	9. The Fellowship of the Gorge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's just a lot of walking and talking, really!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are quite a few references to Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, on the off chance that anyone reading isn't familiar with the story.

Trails of granite led them forward, the grass giving way to hard rock. Trees still grew up around them as the forest continued to thrive around the bedrock, and when they noticed the ground dropping as they walked forward with the rock growing tall on either side, Hanbin proclaimed that they had found the gorge. Years of natural erosion carved a path through the granite that they followed, the rock walls turning into a vertical jungle. Ferns and moss grew out through the cracks, vines extending from the top to the floor.

“Wow, hyung, this is gorgeous!”

Hanbin stood beside a beaming Donghyuk, whose eyes flitted from rock wall to rock wall. Hanbin was just as impressed with the scenery as Donghyuk, everything looked more impressive than he remembered it. He'd been out here with his dad, four years ago before leaving for the US, though they'd only wandered part of it. He'd taken it in with younger eyes that didn't appreciate it as much as he did now.

“It's so pretty, I'm glad the map brought us here!” Jinhwan exclaimed, looping his arm through Hanbin's. “How long is it?”

“About ten kilometres? We should be able to get through it in a few hours,” Hanbin answered.

“Does the river still run through it? The ground is mostly dry but the walls are kind of wet.”

Hanbin actually didn't know for certain if the river ran through here or not—four years ago there had been a small stream further in, though they hadn't followed it the whole way. So he decided to lie. “Not anymore, it used to, but it diverted off to another course. The walls are just ground water from the trees. There might be a bit of a stream further in, but nothing dangerous. It's perfectly safe!”

“Cool, just making sure!” Jinhwan grinned before dropping his arm and joining Yunhyeong by the wall, pressing his cheek into the cool moss as a relief from the hot rays of the sun.

“Are you sure about that?” Donghyuk whispered, sidling up to Hanbin. “If there's no water, there shouldn't be this much moss growing everywhere.”

Hanbin looked from Donghyuk to the rock and back again. Of course, trust Donghyuk to know about these things! “Well, it used to run through here, probably for centuries. I guess the rain is enough to keep it all from drying out?”

“Yeah, maybe,” Donghyuk said, though he didn't sound convinced.

“Anyway it's not a big deal, but just don't say anything. You know how easily Yunhyeong gets carried away with this sort of stuff.” Hanbin grinned and hoped Donghyuk would keep quiet.

Donghyuk grinned back and nodded. “Yeah he'd probably freak out and get convinced there's a raging torrent waiting for us further in!”

Okay, Donghyuk was playing along so he was safe! They were joined then by Chanwoo.

“Is it just me, or does it actually feel kinda cooler here? I mean the sun is still on us, but, it's not as stifling?”

“You're right!” Donghyuk agreed, looking up at the walls. “Probably something to do with the rock?”

“Yeah, the groundwater running down keeps it cool,” Hanbin explained, not because he knew, but because it sounded plausible.

“Hopefully that means Bobby will put his shirt back on,” Junhoe grumbled from behind them, shaking his head as he watched Bobby stretching.

“It's not that cool!” Bobby replied, facing Junhoe and flexing his arms. “Besides, I wouldn't want to deprive everyone from this view!”

Junhoe wrinkled his face in disgust and shifted his attention to Chanwoo. “God, how do you live with him?”

“Miserably.” Chanwoo answered with a grin, dodging when Bobby reached out to punch his arm.

“Enough, you two!” Jinhwan yelled at them, though he watched them with a grin. “We should probably get going before Hanbin starts yelling at us,” he teased.

“We made good time getting here, so no yelling yet!” Hanbin answered. “But I won't put up with anyone being lazy! Like I said, it's a good ten kilometres in and I think we should make it there before we have to break for dinner.”

“Let's head out then!” Jinhwan called out happily, poking Junhoe in the arm. “Be good or I'm gonna make you carry my bag!”

Junhoe huffed in irritation but kept his mouth shut for now.

~

“I thought you said the river didn't come through here!” Yunhyeong exclaimed, eyes wide in alarm. They'd been walking for nearly forty minutes, the ground littered with rocks at first that grew into larger boulders, and on the right side of the gorge a small stream of water had been flowing over the rocks, nothing to cause alarm. But now, after rounding a bend and seeing a four foot high drop that ended in a pool, they could hear the rush of water from the ledge above.

“Well, to be fair, I don't think this classifies as a river?” Hanbin answered, lips frowning.

“Also, if it did, it's not the same river, so technically you were correct!” Bobby came in with the save, to which Hanbin grinned and tried his best not to laugh at.

“I'm not arguing semantics with you!” Yunhyeong glared at them both. “What matters is that we can't keep walking through here. The water is clearly getting deep, it's not going to be safe soon!”

“It's fine!” Hanbin answered, waving his hand dismissively. “It's only on the one side, we can climb over the rocks and keep going.”

“The rocks are slippery!” Yunhyeong argued. “It's too dangerous, someone's gonna get hurt!”

Hanbin crossed his arms over his chest and frowned again. “Well, it's either a bit of danger, or go back. If you feel like trekking back and trying to find another way to the cave, be my guest. But I'm going this way.” He knew that he was being a little more defensive than necessary, but he was not turning around. He'd hiked through worse before, this was honestly nothing.

“We can do this!” Bobby said, “we'll be careful! Besides, it might look better once we climb up. We're looking at it from below, so it's gonna look worse.”

“Fine,” Yunhyeong sighed, shaking his head, “let's at least climb up and take a better look. I just don't want anyone to get hurt, because getting them out would be really tough.”

“So no one get hurt!” Bobby said with a laugh, trying to be a calming diffuser between Hanbin and Yunhyeong. They weren't splitting up, and Bobby wanted to keep going down the gorge path as long as possible.

“As long as no one does anything impulsive, we'll be fine!” Hanbin said.

“That's rich coming from you!” Jinhwan said with a snort of laughter.

“Shut up,” Hanbin grinned back at him, “I'm not impulsive! Every move is calculated.”

“I don't think you're using the same type of math as the rest of us,” Jinhwan replied teasingly.

Hanbin ignored the comment as he approached the ledge, easily hoisting himself up to the higher level. Okay, so things actually looked a little bit worse from up here, because the water was deeper than he'd anticipated. But they could still walk to the left, because the water was only running down the right hand side. Sure, the rocks were a little wet, but if they were careful they'd be fine. He turned back to offer his hand to Jinhwan, who was coming up behind him. Hanbin couldn't help but laugh as he watched Jinhwan struggling to get up, having a difficult go of it even using Hanbin as leverage. Finally Bobby came along and boosted him up, which resulted in Jinhwan threatening them to keep quiet and not laugh.

When they all stood together and surveyed the change of topography Yunhyeong was the first to offer complaint again.

“This really doesn't look safe, Hanbin.”

“Trust me, I've hiked a lot of areas like this, as long as we pay attention we'll be fine. Keep a hand on the wall and balance yourself properly, it's not that bad. It looks worse than it is.”

“It doesn't look bad at all!” Chanwoo said, “it looks fun!”

“That's what worries me!” Yunhyeong replied, looking at Jinhwan for back up.

Jinhwan just shrugged and deferred to Hanbin. “He's the experienced one, he would know!”

Yunhyeong gave in. “Fine! I'm not trying to keep everyone from having a good time. But someone needs to worry about safety!”

“Nah you're no fun, we all know!” Bobby teased. “It's okay though, we still like you anyway!”

“Speak for yourself, I don't like any of you!” Junhoe grumbled, annoyed that their previously flat terrain was getting rougher.

“That's enough out of you!” Jinhwan yelled, “unless you want to carry my bag?”

“Fine, I'll be quiet!” Junhoe shot back.

“I can't believe you're letting him talk to you like that!” Bobby said, shaking his head. “Order him to call you sir!”

Jinhwan laughed at the suggestion. “I'm feeling generous! But keep it up, June-ya, and I might change my mind!”

~

They climbed over rocks for a while but eventually came to a point where the water spread out over the entirety of the gorge floor, though the ground was much flatter and without boulders to climb over. They were divided on what to do.

“We can see that it clears up again ahead,” Hanbin said, pointing further down their path, “we'll get our feet wet now but when we get out of the water we can stop and dry everything off in the sun.”

“I hate walking in wet shoes,” Junhoe complained, arms crossed over his chest in irritation.

“Oh quit being a baby,” Bobby chastised him, “we're not turning back because we'll get wet feet! Like Hanbin said, we can dry everything off once we get back on the rocks.”

“Besides, the ground is all flat, so it won't take long to get across it!” Chanwoo said, and though he didn't like walking with wet shoes either, he wasn't one for whining. It was still hot out, so their shoes would dry out quick enough.

“How do we know it doesn't get really deep though?” Yunhyeong asked, still wary.

“Well we don't, but if it starts to get deeper, we can rethink things.” Hanbin was willing to cross the area alone first just to allay any further complaints.

“Let's just go, we'll be fine!” Bobby said, “we can even walk in a line and hold hands!” He offered, half a joke, half serious. Whatever would make Yunhyeong feel better.

“It'll be like we're back in grade school!” Chanwoo said with a laugh, grabbing for Donghyuk and Junhoe's hands. Donghyuk gladly accepted the gesture, while Junhoe did so with a frown.

“Oh come on, June! A little hand holding never hurt anyone.” Chanwoo teased him.

“No offence, Chanu, but your hand isn't exactly one I'm excited to hold.”

“Wanna hold Jinan hyung's hand instead?” Chanwoo carried on.

“Ugh, seriously? None of you are good enough to hold my hand.” Junhoe complained, but he still clasped Chanwoo's. Walking down the middle of a huge rock gorge had already been a bit much for him, the high walls making everything a bit claustrophobic. But now adding a foot of water they had to walk through? It just made everything worse.

“June-ya, hand!” Jinhwan called out, his hand extended out for Junhoe to take.

Junhoe rolled his eyes as he took Jinhwan's offered hand. “Would you like me to carry you instead?”

“That's not a bad idea!” Jinhwan squeezed his hand tightly before reaching back for Yunhyeong's. “We'll see how bad it gets later!”

Bobby took Donghyuk's hand at the front and reached for Hanbin's. “Lead the way, master navigator!”

Hanbin grinned at him, though he kind of wished he could hold someone else's hand. Ever since they'd entered the gorge Bobby had been glued to his side, and while Hanbin enjoyed the attention, it was also dangerous for him after all the staring and cuddling of their morning hike. He was getting a little too comfortable with Bobby, a little too close. At least this way he wouldn't be able to stare at him and could focus on their surroundings.

Bobby, on the other hand, was trying hard to control himself, his fingers threaded through Hanbin's. He just wanted to do a bit more, to kiss his hand and pull him in closer. It was almost as though, ever since he'd overheard the conversation between Hanbin and Jinhwan the previous night, that he was barely able to keep a hold of himself. Just the idea that Hanbin was even contemplating him was enough to light Bobby's entire body ablaze.

He knew he'd been pushing things a little too much so far, crowding Hanbin, but he couldn't help himself. Besides, if Hanbin had a problem with any of it, he'd back off, wouldn't he? But so far Hanbin had met every touch of Bobby's with a touch of his own, eyes glued to him, always quick to laugh at Bobby's jokes. He'd even fallen asleep earlier, cuddled up against him, Bobby's arms around him! So really, Bobby thought he was safe.

~

Crossing the water-logged part hadn't taken them long, and they were currently all spread out on a relatively dry part of the granite, shoes off and drying in the sun. The walls weren't just covered in moss anymore, they were greeted with trees as well, oddly-shaped things that had twisted roots that stuck out through cracks in the walls, trunks that curved and formed perfect s shapes.

Chanwoo found them fascinating.

“Why do these trees only have branches growing on one side?” He asked, “you'd think they'd want a counter-weight on the other side so they don't break off.”

“Good question,” Jinhwan said from his spot next to Chanwoo, staring up at the oddly growing trees. He'd noticed the trunks that curved, but now that Chanwoo pointed it out, the trees did only have branches growing out of one side. He'd never seen anything like it before.

“Do you think the trees were always bent like this, or did they start growing that way because of the branches? Maybe something got twisted up in the trunks, having to grow out sideways through the rock? Or do you think they started growing straight but gravity bent them?”

“I don't know, Chanu, I'm not a botanist.” Jinhwan replied, not quite that interested. Nature just did weird things sometimes.

“Dendrologist, actually. Botanists study plants, not trees.” Donghyuk couldn't help but jump in.

“Ah, Donghyuk, you're a proctologist, cause all you do is talk shit!” Junhoe said, grinning as he took a sip of water.

“That would actually be a scatologist, but nice try!” Donghyuk retorted.

“Yeah if anyone is a proctologist it's Junhoe, cause he's a giant ass!” Jinhwan added, teasingly grabbing Junhoe's arm.

Junhoe glared at Jinhwan and shoved his hand away. “If anyone here knows about asses, I think it would be Hanbin.”

Everyone stopped what they were doing, turning their shocked attention on Junhoe.

Junhoe, for his part, refused to back down. “Well, I'm just saying, you know, that's how dudes do things with each other. And I'm pretty sure Hanbin has done things, so he'd know!”

Jinhwan shook his hand and turned to Hanbin. “Want me to punch him for you?”

Hanbin, however, just started laughing. “Are you looking for pointers, June? Wanna surprise Lisa on your date next week?”

Everyone laughed except Junhoe, who glared at Hanbin. “Not funny! I was just making a logical assessment!”

“You were rudely assuming! Besides, guys do other things with each other, not just butt stuff.” Jinhwan grinned, amused even more by the growing frown on Junhoe's face.

“Okay, we're eating, so can we please talk about something else?” Yunhyeong begged, not wanting to hear about anyone's sex life.

“You're such a prude, Yoyo! Poor Jisoo is gonna have to lead everything between you two.” Jinhwan teased.

“If she needs pointers, let me know!” Hanbin couldn't help but join in on the teasing.

“Hanbin, seriously?!” Yunhyeong whined, reaching around Bobby to try and swat at Hanbin's leg.

“Fuck, Yoyo, if _you_ need pointers, let _me_ know!” Bobby added, looking from Yunhyeong to Hanbin, who immediately started laughing. Yunhyeong, however, punched Bobby in the shoulder.

“You guys all need Jesus!” Donghyuk added, but seconds later he was laughing too.

~

After drying out for a bit they got back to walking, which soon turned to climbing again. Hanbin led the way, Donghyuk and Chanwoo excitedly following close behind, Yunhyeong in the middle and muttering continually about safety, while Junhoe followed with complaints about how difficult the climbing was. Jinhwan struggled to pull himself up over particularly tall rocks, often requiring Bobby's help.

“Seriously, Jinan, I am dragging your ass to the gym with me when we get back home! You really need to work on your upper body strength, this is pathetic!” Bobby whined as he boosted Jinhwan for what felt like the hundredth time.

“I'm not weak! It's because I'm short!” Jinhwan retorted, though he knew that Bobby was right. He wasn't about to admit it out loud, though.

“Bullshit! You even have trouble with the shorter ones. You know it's a sad day when Junhoe turns out to be a better climber than you.” Bobby teased.

Junhoe looked back at them with a grin on his face, lulled from his mantra of complaints with the opportunity to tease Jinhwan. “Bobby's right, Jinan! You're weak!”

“Shut your mouth, you little shit! Don't make me come after you!” Jinhwan scolded, annoyed that Junhoe was currently out of reach.

“You can try! Won't be able to reach me, though!” Junhoe teased, holding his hand out for Jinhwan, only to retract it the second Jinhwan's fingers brushed his skin.

Jinhwan pouted and grabbed for a handhold, willing his arms to pull him up on their own just this once. He struggled, though, unable to haul his body over the top. After two failed attempts and Junhoe's peel of laughter watching him fail, he felt Bobby's arms wrap around his legs and push him up.

He scrambled on top of the rock with enough time to punch Junhoe in the arm, barely reining himself in from hitting him full force. He could always order Junhoe to take over lifting duty from Bobby, but he didn't trust Junhoe not to drop him.

The further in they went the deeper the water continued to get, though it stayed to the right and left their boulder-strewn path clear of any rushing water. They scrambled over rocks, keeping higher than the water that rushed by them, the roar of it loud in between the walls, though above it all the trilling of songbirds could still be heard. Occasionally a leaf would float down from above, buffeted on the shifting breeze, dropping to the water only to swirl away downstream. Here and there pools formed from dips in the granite and white swells foamed at the base of small, three foot high waterfalls. It was gorgeous, different from anything they were used to seeing back in the city.

Chanwoo and Donghyuk were thoroughly enjoying the trek, neither of them complaining about a thing despite traversing rough terrain in wet shoes, by now the rest of their clothing wet from the spray of the water.

"I feel like we're Frodo and Sam crossing through the Emyn Muil," Chanwoo commented as he hauled himself up and over a particularly tall boulder, turning back in case Donghyuk needed help getting up.

"Does that make Hanbin our Gollum, then?" Donghyuk joked, and Chanwoo laughed, leaning down to grab Donghyuk's hand and help pull him up.

"If he starts calling Bobby  _his precious_ then we need to go!" Chanwoo replied, and they both laughed.

"Seriously though, I wish we had a Treebeard. I mean this is fun and all, but it's like this is a staircase for giants or something! I wonder how Jinan hyung is doing?" Donghyuk stopped and looked back, a smile on his face when he saw Bobby lifting Jinhwan up.

Chanwoo grinned and offered a hand out to Yunhyeong, who was coming up behind them now. "Bobby is Jinan hyung's Treebeard!" They laughed again.

"Chanu-ya! Come on, you're falling behind!"

Chanwoo turned back to face a yelling Hanbin, who was standing and waiting impatiently for him to catch up. Chanwoo grinned and looked at Donghyuk. "Okay he's chanelling his inner Aragorn right about now."

Donghyuk snorted in laughter before heading to the next rock, pulling himself up over it easily. Just ahead there was another smooth spot where they could sit, and Donghyuk turned to Hanbin with pleading eyes.

"Can we have a short break? Please? My arms are killing me!"

Hanbin looked from Donghyuk back to the others. Everyone seemed to be struggling just a tiny bit. "Okay fine. Just for a bit!"

"Awesome! Thanks hyung!" Donghyuk bounded forward, surpassing Hanbin as he waited for the others to catch up. He collapsed down to the rock ledge, leaning back against the cool wall, head in the soft lichen that grew there. He pulled his bag into his lap and started rifling through it for a snack. Chanwoo dropped down beside him just as Donghyuk pulled out a bag of yogurt covered raisins, which he offered to Chanwoo.

"For afternoon tea!"

Chanwoo grinned as he took a handful. "Ah Donghyuk, you eat so much you would make a really good Hobbit!"

"Shut up!" Donghyuk playfully punched his arm before popping a few raisins in his mouth. "Okay so if we were the Fellowship of the Ring, who's who?"

Chanwoo contemplated in silence for a moment. "Hanbin would have to be Gandalf, right? Cause he knows everything?"

"True, though he could also be Aragorn, after Gandalf fell, since we're only seven and not nine? Let's not include Boromir either."

Chanwoo nodded. "Good point! His dad is Gandalf."

Donghyuk almost choked on a raisin, laughing after Chanwoo thumped him on the back. "Let's not say that to him though!"

Chanwoo grinned and nodded. "Okay so, Hanbin is Aragorn, so that would make Bobby... He's not graceful enough to be Legolas, so maybe he's Gimli?"

Donghyuk snorted before doubling over in laughter. "Bobby is totally Gimli! Hanbin can double as Galadriel."

Now it was Chanwoo's turn to choke on his food, gasping as Yunhyeong sat down next to him.

"You okay, Chanwoo?"

Chanwoo nodded, while Donghyuk patted his back. "I think Yunhyeong should be Legolas, he's the only one pretty enough!"

Chanwoo grinned and laughed again at Yunhyeong's confused look. "Well you and I are Frodo and Sam, so that leaves Jinhwan and Junhoe as Merry and Pippin." He looked back at them to see Jinhwan irritatingly poking at Junhoe's leg. "I'm just not sure who's who."

"That's a valid question! Though Junhoe will probably be mad that we didn't make him Legolas." Everyone finally made it to the ledge, sitting back against the rock and taking a moment to rest.

Everyone except for Hanbin, who was still standing and looking out over the rushing water, smiling face turned up to watch as a butterfly flew closer. He reached out a hand and the butterfly sat on his finger.

Chanwoo grabbed Donghyuk's arm. "Okay forget everything, Hanbin is Legolas!"

Donghyuk looked up to see him with the butterfly and laughed. "Totally Legolas!"

A second butterfly came over in their direction, and Bobby held out his finger for it. After briefly fluttering in front of him, the butterfly shunned Bobby's offer and instead joined its mate on Hanbin's hand, which made Chanwoo and Donghyuk squeal in laughter.

"They're so Legolas and Gimli!!" Donghyuk commented, leaning against Chanwoo.

"Seriously! They're a real life Beauty and the Beast!" Chanwoo said, which made Donghyuk laugh even harder.

~

"Do you think this is the cave?" Donghyuk asked, but Hanbin was quick to shake his head.

"No, it's facing the wrong direction for us to have been able to see it." He stood at the entrance, still itching to explore it anyway.

"Do we have time to check it out?" Chanwoo asked, wanting to set down his backpack for a bit.

Hanbin looked at his watch. They were making good time. "Yeah we do!"

"Ugh, seriously? You guys go explore, I'm taking a break!" Junhoe dropped his bag and sat down on the dry granite of the cave entrance, not keen on exploring a cave uneccesarily.

"Fine, someone needs to watch our stuff anyway," Hanbin said with a grin, dropping his bag by Junhoe.

"I'm actually going to take a break too," Jinhwan said, sitting next to Junhoe. "I need a nap!"

"Me too," Yunhyeong agreed, sitting next to Jinhwan. "You guys go explore! We old guys need a break."

"Excuse me? I'm not old!" Junhoe grumbled a reply.

"You're old in spirit!" Yunhyeong teased.

"Old in body too!" Jinhwan joined in, poking him in the chest.

"Flabby old June!" Chanwoo called out.

"All of you fuck off! You're disturbing my beauty rest." Junhoe replied with a grin.

"Alright, let's go and leave the old people alone!" Bobby said, before grabbing his flashlight out of his bag. "We'll scream if anything happens, so listen closely."

"Don't say that!" Yunhyeong whined. "Be careful and don't be gone for too long."

"If we're not back in fifteen minutes, tell my mom I love her!" Hanbin teased before disappearing into the cave, followed by Bobby.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure they don't do anything stupid!" Donghyuk promised, following Chanwoo into the darkness. They quickly caught up with Hanbin and Bobby, their flashlights shining around the walls.

"I hope there aren't any bears in here," Chanwoo said, mostly to tease Donghyuk.

"There aren't, do you think?" Donghyuk asked worriedly, shining his light on the floor. "It's all rock, there's no way to tell if there are prints!"

"Relax, there's no bears!" Hanbin said.

"That's what you said about the river!" Donghyuk retorted.

"Yeah well, I was lying." Hanbin grinned. "Besides, if there is a bear we'll just sacrifice Bobby! The rest of us can run!"

Bobby's mouth dropped open in shock. "What do you mean, sacrifice me?!"

"I'll kick out your knee." Hanbin grinned at him mischievously.

"But why me?!" Bobby asked, tone incredulous.

"Well, I can't sacrifice the kids, and I'm not sacrificing myself, and Junhoe's not here or I'd sacrifice him."

Bobby pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. "I can't believe you'd do that! I would sacrifice myself for you any day without thinking about it!"

"Good!" Hanbin replied, throwing his arm around Bobby's shoulder. "So you'll do it willingly and I won't have to do it myself?"

Bobby suddenly wrapped both arms around Hanbin's waist and pulled him in closer. "I would have, but now that you revealed yourself I'll sacrifice you instead!" He half dragged a now laughing Hanbin along. "Heeere mister bear! Come get your dinner! I know he might be a little skinny, but there's still enough meat on his bones for a good meal!"

Chanwoo and Donghyuk just stood and watched them, amused grins on their faces.

"Ah look at that! And they're the hyungs!" Donghyuk said, to which Chanwoo laughed.

"Let's let them lead the way? Maybe if we're lucky the bear will take them both."

~

"Hey look up there! What's that light from?" Donghyuk pointed up the wall where a square of light was shining through.

"There must be a hole to the outside! But where does it lead out?" Hanbin looked up, shining his light over the wall. There were a lot of footholds and handholds. It was a good fifteen feet high, which he figured he could climb easily.

Bobby watched him, frowning as Hanbin shined his light over the wall. "Don't even think about it!" He warned, knowing exactly what Hanbin was thinking. "It's too high!"

Hanbin looked back at Bobby and frowned. "Don't tell me what to do!" He teasingly replied, before touching the rock wall with his hand. It was a little wet, but nothing too dangerous.

"Hanbin! Seriously, it's not safe!" Bobby whined, not wanting him to do anything dangerous. Besides--whatever Hanbin ended up doing, Bobby knew that Chanwoo would want to try it too.

"It's perfectly fine!" Hanbin replied, before putting his flashlight in his mouth and reaching up for a handhold. His curiousity would not rest until he saw where the hole exited to.

Bobby sighed and shook his head, standing underneath where Hanbin was starting to climb. He could catch him if he slipped. Provided Hanbin didn't end up kicking him in the face.

Chanwoo watched as Hanbin climbed up, wishing Bobby wasn't here. He wanted to go up too, wanted to follow Hanbin. There was no way Bobby was going to let him, though.

Hanbin carefully made his way up towards the light, not looking down. He'd cross that bridge when he got to it. The higher up he went the scarcer the handholds were, but it was still easy enough to find grips to hold on to. He finally made it high enough to look out through the hole in the wall and his breath caught in his throat when he did.

He hadn't realized it with the winding of the gorge, but they were right up again the tall ciffs on the western side of the island, and all he could see through the hole was the shimmering blue expanse of the sea. It was beautiful, looking at it from this vantage point, framed in granite.

"What is it?" Chanwoo yelled, curious about what Hanbin was seeing.

"The sea!" Hanbin yelled back. "We're right at the side of the island! Really high up, actually! I didn't realize how high we are! It's gorgeous!" He stared until his arms started to burn from holding on, but he didn't want to go back down. It was too beautiful, looking out over the sparkling blue, the sun glinting off the tiny swells.

Chanwoo sighed out loud without meaning to, and immediately Bobby looked at him.

"Don't even think about it. This was dumb enough for Hanbin to do, you are not following suit!"

Chanwoo frowned and couldn't help but feel frustrated. As awesome as the trip was and as many cool things that he had been able to do, it felt like Bobby kept keeping him from doing the coolest things.

"Of course not, wouldn't dream of having fun with you around." Chanwoo couldn't help the bitter retort from being spoken out loud, and he made himself send Bobby a fake smile to make it seem like he was joking.

"Chanu-ya, seriously, I'm a dead man if anything happens to you!" Bobby whined in response before looking back at Hanbin and wishing he'd come down.

"Oh let your brother live, Bobby!" Hanbin said, getting one last glimpse in before starting his climb back down. It was definitely tough coming down, his feet blindly looking for something to balance on. He felt like his arms were going to give out by the time he made it back to the floor of the cave, though he didn't say that to Bobby.

"Don't encourage him! It's bad enough that I have to worry about you doing dangerous things, I can't worry about Chanu too."

"How about you just stop worrying altogether? It'll reduce stress and make you live longer!"

"I think we should have left him out front with the old people," Chanwoo teased, over his momentary disappointment.

"Oh come on, I'm not that bad!" Bobby protested, "you guys should feel good that I care enough to worry about you!"

"Ah just yesterday he was recklessly caving and climbing trees with me, today he's worried about me climbing fifteen feet up a wall!" Hanbin teased.

"Oh how the night changes things!" Chanwoo teased.

Bobby shook his head and Donghyuk hugged him.

"I think it's sweet that you care so much!" He said.

"Ah Donghyuk, my true brother!" Bobby put his arm around Donghyuk's shoulders and started making his way back to the others, leaving Chanwoo and Hanbin behind.

“If only someone could distract Bobby while I climb the wall.” Chanwoo stared hard at Hanbin, wondering if he’d have to say it out loud or if Hanbin would offer.

Hanbin turned to Chanwoo with a conspiratorial grin. “Say no more. Let's go back out so he doesn't get suspicious and I'll do what I can. Bring Donghyuk back with you though, just in case."

Chanwoo smiled and put his arm around Hanbin's shoulders. “Thanks, hyung! Make it a good distraction, Bobby’s got a weird kind of sixth sense when I’m doing something dangerous,” Chanwoo replied.

Hanbin flashed him a cocky grin. “I think I can manage something.”

Chanwoo grinned back. “Ah hyung, I appreciate all you’ve done for me this weekend, so I won’t criticize your taste in guys.”

Hanbin laughed. “Hey, this will be mutually beneficial, so stop complaining.”

“Alright, I’ll leave it in your hands.” They made it back to the front of the cave, where Bobby was sitting and watching as Jinhwan and Yunhyeong were stripping to go for a bit of swimming in a nearby pool. Junhoe had taken his shoes off and was sitting by the water, dangling his feet in.

"The old guys decided to go swimming for a bit!" Bobby told them.

"Ah, sounds like a nice plan!" Donghyuk said, looking back at Chanwoo. Chanwoo shook his head slowly, nodding his head back in the direction of the cave before nodding at Hanbin and Bobby. Donghyuk nodded his head in understanding as he moved closer to Chanwoo, who just happened to be standing where his bag was.

Hanbin approached Bobby was sitting, faking a limp. “Hyung,” Hanbin whined for added effect, “promise you won’t yell at me?”

Bobby’s attention was drawn immediately, his face creasing in worry. “What’s wrong?”

Hanbin winced and touched the back of his leg. “I think I pulled my hamstring,” he said, “well probably just a light strain, it’s not too severe yet.”

Bobby frowned—he’d dealt with a pulled hamstring his first year of high school, so luckily he knew how to judge what the damage was like. “Where does it hurt, and what does it feel like?”

Unbeknownst to Bobby, though, Hanbin was also extremely familiar with leg injuries, having played nursemaid to his own whiny injured boyfriend the previous year. “Right here,” he pointed to the back of his right leg, “like it’s not constant, but I feel it whenever I walk or try to bend my leg. I think I must have done it when I jumped down, I felt it tweak a bit when I landed.”

“Do you mind if I prod a little?” Bobby asked, reaching for Hanbin's leg. _Play it cool Jiwon, don't go getting excited over a medical exam_.

“Go for it,” Hanbin replied. “Have you ever pulled yours before?” He tried to keep breathing normally, willing himself not to get too excited over Bobby's fingers on his leg. It was difficult, though, because the touch was very intimate.

“Yeah, first year of football,” Bobby answered, his fingers kneading softly into the skin where Hanbin’s leg connected to his ass, “pulled mine completely, I was off of it for three weeks.”

“That sucks,” Hanbin replied, hissing just slightly when Bobby prodded where it ought to hurt if Hanbin were really injured.

“Does it hurt when I press here?” Bobby asked, fingers lightly pressing again.

“Yeah, it’s not terrible but that’s definitely the spot.”

Bobby frowned and wondered what they could possibly do. They still had a good chunk of walking left, and if Hanbin really was hurt, that would make their journey a lot more difficult. “What a crappy time to not have any ice,” Bobby said, looking around. “There isn't even really anywhere for you to lie down so I can stretch it. The best I can do is a massage?”

Hanbin nodded, biting his lip to keep his composure. This was for Chanwoo. That was how he would justify it. He was doing it for Chanwoo. “How do you want me?”

Bobby wished he'd worn a snapback so he could hide his blushing face from Hanbin. He couldn't help it though, because the first thought that had come into his mind at Hanbin's question had been “on your back” and he'd actually almost said it out loud. “Um, just stand in front of me, I guess? You can face away, it'll be easier.”

Hanbin turned around at once, his own face flushing. Good thing Bobby had suggested he face away, because Hanbin was feeling like he might not have the best control over himself. The last thing he needed was to pop a boner in Bobby's face.

“Thanks, hyung, I feel like an idiot. Especially after you just lectured me on being safe, and now I go and injure myself."

“Don’t feel bad, it might not be that serious,” Bobby said softly, hoping the injury was light. Of course it just had to be the hamstring, though. Not that he really had a problem with the idea of massaging Hanbin’s ass, but after everything else this weekend he wasn’t sure if he could do it and keep it professional.

Bobby was hesitant in starting his massage, fingers shyly digging into Hanbin’s skin, wondering if Hanbin would react if he reached his fingers underneath his shorts to get a better grip. That would probably be too much. God, did he ever want to, though.

Hanbin closed his eyes for a moment as Bobby squeezed his leg, rubbing it soothingly. Bobby's hands were strong and Hanbin couldn't help but wonder what they'd feel like wrapped around other parts of his body. He forced the thought out of his mind the second it appeared, shaking his head clear of thoughts he really needed to stop having. How much longer was he going to let himself keep getting away with this? He needed to stop giving himself these moments of temptation.

Regardless of what he ended up doing in the end, he wasn't going to do anything with Bobby before he made up his mind and saw his boyfriend again. He was not going to cheat on Minho. That's not the type of person he was (no matter how many times he'd fantasized about being with Bobby). Once Chanwoo came back and they could carry on, that was it. He was going to find a way to keep his distance from Bobby during moments like this.

"How does it feel?" Bobby asked, thumbs digging into the tissue that connected his leg to his ass. "Is it any better?"

"Yeah," Hanbin said, "it feels a bit better."

"Good." Bobby replied, continuing the massage. Just then he heard a loud shriek from Junhoe and he looked over at where the others were by the pool, watching as Jinhwan and Yunhyeong splashed Junhoe. He grinned for a second before realization dawned on him that Chanwoo ad Donghyuk weren't there. He stopped what he was doing and looked around.

"Where's Chanu? And Dong?" When Hanbin didn't say anything, Bobby felt a sudden sinking feeling in his gut. "Hanbin? Where is my brother?"

Hanbin bit his lip and turned around, looking down at Bobby. Enough time had passed now that Chanwoo was probably up the wall, but he didn't want to risk Bobby running after him and ruining his fun.

"I don't know, I didn't see him leave."

Bobby narrowed his eyes and stared up at him. "You're not actually hurt, are you?"

Hanbin couldn't help the grin that pulled at his lips. "Ah, well, I mean I am sore--"

"I can't believe you!" Bobby said, staring at him incredulously. "Stop being a bad influence on Chanu!"

"Oh come on! You keep telling him no all the time, let him do this. He'll be fine! I was fine."

Bobby huffed and shook his head. "I should punch you for this. I can't believe you'd lie to me! And put my little brother in danger!" Okay, so maybe he was being a tad bit over-dramatic.

Hanbin frowned down at him, pouting cutely. “I can't believe you're threatening me with physical violence. When did you turn into Junhoe?”

Bobby grinned and reached out, sliding his hand back up Hanbin's leg, squeezing the muscle just below his ass again. He couldn't stay mad at Hanbin, one glance had him crumbling. “I think you still deserve a hit, but I'd make you feel better afterwards. I'm really good with my hands.” He said with a grin, winking at Hanbin seductively. As much as he wanted to go and find Chanwoo and make sure he wasn't doing anything dangerous, maybe he'd let him go for once. After all, he was kind of alone with Hanbin right now, because the other three were distracted by the water.

Hanbin was torn—part of him wanted to protest and pull away, but the other part wanted to sink down on Bobby's lap and kiss him. He couldn't keep doing this to himself.

“Bobby, you need to stop saying things like that, you're too enticing.” He jokingly said, pulling away from Bobby and sitting down, purposefully putting a little more distance between them than usual.

Bobby grinned and didn't notice Hanbin's shift in attitude for what it was. “Oh, and what's that supposed to mean?” He slid closer to Hanbin, sliding a hand over his knee.

Hanbin frowned and decided that he needed to come clean about the whole thing, never mind how awkward it might make the rest of the day. If he kept going like this he didn't trust himself to not do something he'd end up regretting.

“I have a boyfriend, and I can't keep doing this with you. I can't.”

Bobby's hand faltered and he just stared at Hanbin for a moment, shocked at the sudden shift. Had he pushed too far? But things had seemed perfectly fine between them, Hanbin hadn't indicated that he was bothered, had he? Hadn't Bobby been perfect so far? If Hanbin was bringing up the subject, could he really just let it go?

“I know, but you're not happy, are you?” He watched Hanbin's face, saw the way he frowned and turned away. “I was there, Hanbin, on the beach, I saw it myself. You should be happy, and you're not happy.”

Hanbin bit his lip, really not wanting to hear what Bobby was saying. “I wasn't unhappy the whole time on the beach, you know.” Okay, so he'd been annoyed more than he would have liked, but still, it wasn't Bobby's place to comment on his relationship when he barely knew anything about it. “You only saw a fraction of what things are like, and it was only like that because of everyone else.”

“I heard you talking to Jinan,” Bobby admitted, desperate now for this to go his way. He had to make Hanbin see reason! “You said yourself that things are different, that half the time you wonder why you're still with him. I'm sorry if I'm making things uncomfortable for you right now, but you deserve to be happy all the time, and you're not, and I know I could make you happier than Minho does. I know it.”

Hanbin kept facing away because he couldn't look at Bobby right now. He hated it because he felt like, on one level, he agreed with everything Bobby was saying. But on the other hand, Hanbin hated being told what to do, hated it when people gave him advice that he didn't ask for. Besides he loved Minho, was still in love with him, knew that despite whatever issues had popped up between them recently, they still worked together on such a good level. Bobby had never seen them together when things were good, he didn't know what they were like together.

When Hanbin didn't respond Bobby continued, because he felt like since they were finally here, he needed to get everything out. “You even said it yourself, last night, how I support you more than he does.”

“I meant specifically about this stuff! Minho supports me a lot, okay? He's not a bad guy.” Hanbin was on the defensive now and he hated it, hated feeling like he needed to explain his relationship.

“I didn't say he was! But he should support you all the time and he doesn't, and it hurts to see that. Because I would always support you, in everything. I just think that I'd be better for you than he is.” Bobby knew he was grasping at straws, because in reality he didn't really know that much about Hanbin's relationship, just stolen commentary that wasn't meant for his ears and biased observations from his best friend.

Hanbin finally turned to look at him, and Bobby was surprised to see him almost look angry.

Hanbin, on the other hand, was just trying to keep himself from crumbling in front of Bobby, because the concern in his eyes was making Hanbin weak. “I don't need anyone to tell me that you'd be better for me than Minho is—I can see it myself. Things changed, and it's not as perfect as it used to be. But just because you're a bit of a better match now, that doesn't mean that he and I don't work together anymore! We've been through a lot, and I'm not just going to drop that because things might be better with you.”

Bobby reached out and grabbed Hanbin's hand, squeezing it tightly, refusing to back down. “It's not just me, though, Jinan knows you and he knows Minho, and he thinks we're a better match. He thinks you and Minho are on your last legs.”

“Yeah well Jinan needs to mind his own business!” Hanbin retorted angrily, feeling slightly resentful that Jinhwan had been talking to Bobby about his relationship. “He should know more than anyone why I can't just drop Minho. He's been there for me during the worst time in my life, and I'm supposed to repay him by dumping him?”

Bobby frowned and was starting to regret saying anything, but he couldn't let it go. This might be the only chance he had. “You were in a relationship, Hanbin, you're supposed to support the person you love through that sort of stuff. He doesn't deserve applause because he was there for you—he was supposed to be! You don't owe him anything because he was good to you. You can't let that guilt you into staying with him.”

Hanbin felt frustrated, partly because he didn't want to talk about his relationship with Minho, and partly because he secretly liked hearing what Bobby was saying. That he cared enough to fight like this was doing terrible things to Hanbin. “Look, I get what you're saying, and I appreciate your point, but I can't. I love him, Bobby, and the thought of not being with him terrifies me. I know you don't want to hear that, but even with all the problems we do have, that's still how I feel.”

Bobby could feel it all slipping away—this wasn't how it was supposed to go. He'd been perfect for Hanbin, had shown him how perfect he'd be, how well they fit together. Why was he clinging to something that wasn't perfect anymore?

“You want to know why I haven't dated anyone since I met you?” Bobby asked, waiting until Hanbin looked back at him again. “No matter who else I looked at, none of them compared to you. As soon as I met you, it's like my eyes wouldn't see anyone else. And now, with this whole school thing, the idea of being separated from you, not seeing you every day? It fucking hurts.” He was quiet for a moment, working up the courage to say what he really wanted to say.

“I love you, okay? I don't think I've ever felt so in love with someone before, fuck I don't know if I actually have been in love with anyone before, because my feelings for you are so much stronger. They have been for months, now, and seeing you stick it out with someone who doesn't make you happy all the time, it's really hard.”

Hanbin shook his head, not wanting to hear what Bobby was saying anymore. This was too much, way too much for him to handle right now. Bobby having developed a crush on him was one thing, but this? Knowing now that Bobby had actually fallen in love with him months ago? Hanbin suddenly felt sick to his stomach, but it was all guilt over his own feelings.

“Fuck, don't tell me that,” he whined, turning away to hide the tears in his eyes.

“Why not? It's true, that's how I feel!” Bobby wanted to hug him, wanted to pull Hanbin into his arms and kiss him. He couldn't take the thought of losing him over this, of losing him back to Minho after he felt like he'd come so far.

Hanbin took a deep breath and turned to face him again, fingers wiping at his eyes. “You need to understand something, okay? This past year, ever since I met you, I've been really attracted to you. It wasn't serious at first, just physical. I was okay with that because I thought you were straight. Honestly, sometimes when I'd fight with Minho, I'd have these stupid little fantasies about you, and that was okay, I was okay with the idea of fantasy cheating on him with you because you were straight, and you were safe. It was never supposed to happen, and you weren't ever going to like me that way. But now that you do? Now that I know that you always liked me that way?” Hanbin paused again, tears coming back. “Now I feel guilty about thinking it. I feel like I have been cheating on him.”

Bobby bit at the inside of his cheek to keep his own tears in check, though his were mostly borne of frustration at knowing that Hanbin had been so close all this time! “Having fantasies doesn't mean you're cheating, Hanbin. You're allowed to think about other people as long as you don't do anything.”

“You're only saying that because it's about you! How do you think he'd feel if I told him that I've been thinking about you? Do you think he'd be okay with that? Would you be okay with that, if it was you?”

Bobby wanted to say yes, wanted to say that he wouldn't have a problem with it, that if he were dating Hanbin he wouldn't police his thoughts. But he knew it was a lie. Even though he wouldn't consider it cheating, he would be extremely hurt to hear that Hanbin was thinking about someone else.

Hanbin took Bobby's silence for agreement with his point. “Anyway, I know it technically isn't cheating, and I know I'm allowed to have thoughts. But they still make me feel like shit, I still feel like a huge asshole for having them all this time. And I can't keep doing this to myself, getting close to you, and, and thinking about you--” he couldn't say anything more, didn't want to say anything more lest he give up more of himself.

Bobby was quiet, his eyes momentarily back at the pool, watching Jinhwan teasing Junhoe, Yunhyeong lying in the sun, hoping that Chanwoo and Donghyuk weren't going to come out and interrupt them. He felt terrible, half because of how bad Hanbin felt (which he was partially responsible for, because he'd been pushing him so much the whole weekend) and half because despite all of that, his heart was doing flips inside his ribcage at the thought of Hanbin actually having fantasies about them together. He wanted to know what exactly he'd been thinking about, was dying to ask him.

But that was the last thing Hanbin needed to hear, and Bobby was sure that if he concentrated on that part of his feelings it would only do irreparable damage to whatever they had left. So instead he had to think about being the better person; he had to think about gaining Hanbin's trust back.

“Okay, I understand. And I want to say, honestly, Hanbin--” Bobby reached out and took his hand again, held it tightly and waited until Hanbin was looking at him, “I'm sorry. I knew you were having doubts about things, and instead of backing off and giving you space, I pushed you instead, and that was wrong. I was being selfish, and I only thought about myself, and I'm sorry. I really am, I'm not just saying that because you're upset. I really mean it. I didn't think about how it would make you feel, and I should have. If I care about you that much I should have thought about you and not just me. Can you forgive me?”

Hanbin was surprised at the apology. He stared at Bobby for a moment before nodding, willing to forgive anything. He was terrified about this ruining their friendship. Bobby had mentioned the school thing, and not seeing him every day, and Hanbin felt the same way. Next to Jinhwan and Taehyun, Bobby had become something of a new best friend this past year, and Hanbin didn't want to lose him.

Bobby forced a smile at Hanbin's willingness to accept his apology. “I know I made things super awkward between us now, but I respect your relationship, and even though we both have feelings for each other, I still want to be friends with you, if something more isn't possible. Can we still have that?”

Hanbin nodded again, relief flooding through his system as Bobby's request. He still wasn't sure how things would play out with Minho, but knowing that Bobby wasn't going to give him an all or nothing ultimatum made him feel much better.

“I appreciate that, I really do. It was tough starting over and making new friends, I don't want to lose you.” It would probably be difficult to maintain the friendship through his confused feelings, but Hanbin would take confusion over a cold shoulder any day of the week. He'd gotten enough of them since leaving his old group of friends.

“Okay then, so, we're still friends. I can deal with that.” Bobby squeezed his hand again before letting it go, trying to inject a bit of levity into the situation. “If we do get separated again, promise you'll come watch my football games if they don't conflict with Minho's?”

Hanbin grinned at the question, a small laugh escaping his lips. “I promise.”

Bobby laughed too, even though part of him just wanted to cry more than ever. “I'll hold you to that! If I don't see you there, I'll be upset.”

“I'll be there! I'll even wear a cheerleader uniform for you.” Hanbin grinned, and Bobby laughed at the mental picture of Hanbin in a skirt. That led to another hug, and Hanbin thought that maybe they were hugging a bit tighter than they should be given their conversation, but he wasn't about to loosen his hold. He'd come precariously close to losing Bobby entirely, and right now he just needed to cling tightly.

But he had to pull back eventually, and when he did he looked Bobby in the eyes, sobering up mentally before speaking. “I just wanted to say thanks, for being understanding. I feel a lot better after getting all of that off my chest.”

Bobby smiled back at him. “I'm happy we talked, actually. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, so if I get too clingy again later, just tell me to back off, okay?”

Hanbin nodded. “I think I'll be okay, though, since I'm not hiding my feelings from you anymore.”

“Okay, but I mean it! I mean come on, I know I'm really attractive, so, if you're having a hard time I get it. I don't want to push you into impure thoughts!” Bobby winked at him and Hanbin laughed, leaning against him and hugging him again, grateful they'd managed to get themselves back into some semblance of normalcy. He knew it would still be difficult, being around Bobby, but at least it was all out in the open now. They could carry on with their hunt and when Hanbin got back home he could talk to Minho and make a proper decision about what he wanted.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's still a few chapters left so don't freak out, Double B shippers! Just be patient. ;)


	10. The Cave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After following the trail through to the end the boys find their cave. But does it actually give them any answers?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly Hanbin/Bobby/Jinhwan. Also—we're almost at the end! Probably only three chapters left?

“Is it everything you thought it would be?” Donghyuk teased, shining his light up at Chanwoo.

“Are you making fun of me?” Chanwoo called back, his fingers gripping tightly to the granite inside the cave. He was perched up high, eyes on the view from the cliff wall. It didn’t really sound all that spectacular on paper, but seeing it himself was something entirely different!

“Not at all!” Donghyuk replied, though he kind of was.

“Stop lying, I know you too well!”

Donghyuk grinned and ran his finger along the wall, wondering how long Chanwoo was going to stay up there for. The view couldn’t be that spectacular, could it? It’s the same view you’d get from any other high elevation point, with the added discomfort of plastering yourself to a damp granite wall.

“Come on, you should come down before Bobby figures out you managed to evade his over-protective presence for once!” Donghyuk called up, mostly because he was bored. There was only so much you could do in the dark with only a flashlight. He was also just a little bit worried about Chanwoo, but he didn’t want to harp on him.

“Yeah, probably pushing my luck a little,” Chanwoo answered, “though Hanbin said he’d keep him distracted, and if I trust Bobby to be distracted by anyone, it would be Hanbin!”

Donghyuk laughed. “True! I wonder if anything is actually going to happen between them. I mean, Bobby’s been into him for a while, right?”

“Months,” Chanwoo answered, feeling the burn in his arms and deciding it was time to head back down to the floor of the cave, “he thinks I never noticed, but I knew all along.”

“Yeah he’s pretty terrible at hiding his feelings. Even I noticed he was interested!”

“Bobby thinks he’s slick, but he’s an open book. Okay I’m gonna come back down so can you shine the light over here?” Chanwoo started feeling for a foothold, his fingers gripping the rock tightly. This was a little daunting, he had to admit, because it felt so much higher than it was.

“Be careful!” Donghyuk called out. “So, do you think there’s a chance they might actually get together? It would be kind of weird, don’t you think?”

Chanwoo had trouble finding a foothold, his sneaker sliding off the wet granite. “It seems pretty likely to me; I mean have you seen the way Hanbin looks at him? I don’t know what he finds so attractive, but whatever it is has him hooked.”

“Move your foot to the right,” Donghyuk instructed, noticing Chanwoo’s trouble; “it must be his muscles!”

“Definitely can’t be his face,” Chanwoo said, “or his personality!”

“Oh come on,” Donghyuk chided, “Bobby’s super nice! He’d probably make a great boyfriend.”

“He barely makes a great brother!” Chanwoo replied, though in reality he thought he’d gotten pretty lucky with Bobby. Sure, they had their moments of discord, and Chanwoo was willing to murder someone to get his own room because Bobby was a mess, but all in all he was pretty great.

Donghyuk snorted at Chanwoo’s comment, seeing through his attempted insult. “Please, Bobby’s a great brother and you know it! You’re lucky, Chanu!”

Chanwoo was halfway down the wall now and his arms were burning, as were his legs. He was contemplating just jumping the rest of the way. “Eh, he could be worse, I guess! Don’t tell him that though! He’s already annoying enough.”

Donghyuk watched him struggling again. “Just reach down a bit further with your left foot,” he advised, “did your parents ever meet his old boyfriend?”

“Nah,” Chanwoo answered, finding the foothold and reaching for another, “honestly I don’t know if he’s even out to them, it's never come up.”

“What?” Donghyuk asked, “I thought your parents knew?”

“I don’t think so,” Chanwoo answered, “I think they’ll be okay with it, though. I mean, they’ve never said anything bad about gay people before, they’re pretty inclusive. He’d have to tell them if he and Hanbin hook up, though. He’ll probably invite him over for dinner all the time.”

“Yeah, get ready to have a second older brother!” Donghyuk said, breathing a silent sigh of relief when Chanwoo made it safely back down.

Chanwoo slumped against the wall, sitting on the floor to rest his limbs. “Eh, Hanbin’s cool, he’d make a good brother, I think!”

Donghyuk sat down next to him. “You get along well with him.”

“He’s more fun than Bobby!” Chanwoo said with a laugh, feeling grateful to Hanbin for distracting his brother. It was weird, thinking about the possibility of them dating. Chanwoo hadn’t really known Bobby’s first boyfriend that well, had rarely ever seen him outside of school, and he’d been different there, the sort of person to change his personality based on who was around. Hanbin was the same no matter where Chanwoo saw him.

“I think they’d make a good couple,” Donghyuk admitted, though he found it weird to think about them being together too. He’d known Bobby for so long that thinking about him dating anyone was kind of strange. But he liked Hanbin a lot, thought he’d make a good match for Bobby.

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens, then. Speaking of which, we should probably head back out before Bobby notices we’re gone! I don’t want to be the thing that drives them apart,” Chanwoo joked, slowly getting to his feet. His legs still felt a little wobbly, though they were better than his arms.

“Yeah, I’m surprised he hasn’t come looking yet! What do you think Hanbin did to distract him?”

Chanwoo cleared his throat and shot Donghyuk a curious look. “Do you really want to know? Think about the possibilities.”

Donghyuk laughed. “Okay good point! Some things are better off left unknown!” They made their way quietly back out of the cave, and Chanwoo saw Bobby sitting by himself. Hanbin was nearby, rifling through his pack. He couldn’t help but feel wary. Why wasn’t Bobby looking for him?

Hanbin was the first to notice them return, smiling at Chanwoo in greeting as he approached. “How was it?” Hanbin asked, and Chanwoo thought he seemed a little less happy than he had prior to his rock climbing scenario.

“It was good,” he answered, looking back to where Bobby was sitting, “he didn’t find out, did he?”

Hanbin grinned and stood up, having retrieved a granola bar from his bag. “He did,” Hanbin answered, “he’s cool though, don’t worry.”

Chanwoo nodded, still curious about how weird things suddenly felt. “He didn’t get mad at you for it, did he?”

Hanbin shook his head. “Well he yelled at me at first, but he’s fine now. Honestly it’s not a big deal, I don’t think he’ll say anything to you.”

Chanwoo nodded, still feeling perturbed. “Cool! Well, thanks, again. It was super cool, worth getting yelled at!”

Hanbin smiled. “Good! Happy to hear that. We’re going to leave soon, just waiting for the other three to finish drying off.”

Chanwoo nodded and took that as an opportunity to wander over and sit down next to Bobby, deciding to bite the bullet and accept a potential scolding in order to figure out what was off about the situation. What he didn’t expect was for Bobby to be staring sullenly at the rocks.

“You okay hyung?” Chanwoo asked, speaking low enough for only his brother to hear.

Bobby looked at him suddenly, as though he hadn’t noticed Chanwoo sit down next to him. “Where have you been?”

Chanwoo smiled sheepishly. “Sneaking.”

Bobby shook his head and grinned at the answer. “Well at least you didn’t hurt yourself, so I guess I won’t bother saying anything.”

“Awesome,” Chanwoo replied, though he was still curious. “You didn’t answer my question, though.”

“Huh?” Bobby looked back at him, and Chanwoo could see it in his eyes that something had happened. The spark was missing from them.

“What happened? Is something wrong?”

Bobby sighed and shook his head. Chanwoo was far too perceptive for his own good sometimes. “It’s fine.”

“Hyung, come on, I can tell when you’re bothered.” Chanwoo neglected to mention that he’d noticed that Hanbin had seemed weird as well. Had something passed between them after all?

“Drop it, Chanu, it’s nothing.” Bobby was not in the mood to tell Chanwoo about his failed attempt to win Hanbin over. Besides, it wasn’t necessarily that it was a resounding no anyway—more of a not right now. It wasn’t anyone else’s business. He’d be fine for the rest of the trip, he and Hanbin. It would just take him a little bit to get back into his happy go lucky mood of earlier.

Chanwoo sat in silence for a moment, wanting to push but also knowing that Bobby probably wouldn't tell him. He hadn't really caused an argument between them, had he? “You're not mad at him, are you?”

Bobby frowned at his brother, confusion creasing his face. “Mad at who?”

“Hanbin.” Chanwoo answered, trying to judge Bobby's feelings from his expression.

Bobby narrowed his eyes as he regarded Chanwoo. “Why would I be mad at Hanbin?”

Chanwoo grinned and went for the admission. “For distracting you.”

Bobby shook his head and smiled. “I'm not mad at him. You deserve a bit of fun, I guess.”

“You seem upset, though.” Chanwoo was too intrigued, unwilling to drop it until he got a better answer.

Bobby blew a long breath out through his lips, clasping his hands around his knees. “I thought I told you to drop it?”

Chanwoo frowned and looked back at Hanbin, catching him staring worriedly at them. He looked away as soon as Chanwoo met his gaze, making it obvious that something was up.

“Are you and Hanbin okay?” Time to come right out and be direct, since he wasn't getting anything out of Bobby.

“We're fine, Chanu,” Bobby answered, voice gruff. “Seriously, everything is fine.”

Chanwoo leaned in closer, his voice low. “You fucked up, didn't you?”

Bobby met his look with an angry expression. “You are really close to a beating right now, just so you know.”

Chanwoo backed off slightly. “Sorry hyung, I'm just concerned. It's just that, ten minutes ago you guys were both laughing and smiling at each other, and now you both look like someone died. I just wanna make sure you're okay.”

Bobby sighed, reaching out to throw his arm around his brother's shoulders. “Ah Chanu, you're a good kid. Thanks for worrying about me, but really, everything is okay. Hanbin and I had a chat, and we're fine.”

That pretty much answered Chanwoo’s question, though he was still curious about the conversation itself. What the hell had they said to each other? “Okay, as long as you're sure!”

“I am. Don't go saying anything to Hanbin, alright? It's personal.” Chanwoo nodded and promised he'd keep quiet, and Bobby excused himself to get ready to head back out. Chanwoo still felt confused, still felt a bit of the excitement deflate from the weekend. He hoped they weren't really as awkward as they felt right now.

A minute later and Hanbin was yelling for them all to get up and head back out, and Chanwoo studied him. Hanbin seemed fine, seemed to have his usual smile back on his face. Chanwoo had promised Bobby he wouldn't say anything, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't pay attention. He got up and shouldered his pack before heading over to Hanbin.

“Hey hyung, how much longer you figure til we get there?”

Hanbin shrugged and looked at his watch. “We should probably get there between one to two hours? We should be three quarters of the way there now I think, based on the time.”

“Oh wow really? Awesome! What do you think we'll find?”

Hanbin grinned back at him. “Hopefully some ancient relic! Could you imagine if we actually found something?”

“Maybe they'd make a movie about us! I mean it would be a great story, right?”

“I'll start writing the screenplay. You wanna play yourself?” Hanbin teased.

“Can I play Junhoe? Just to piss him off?” Chanwoo grinned when Hanbin laughed. “I can sulk like nobody's business!”

“Sold!”

~

“That should be it!” Hanbin exclaimed, staring at the waterfall in the distance. “You can see the entrance on the left side there.”

“How are we supposed to get over there?” Jinhwan asked, “there's a lake in between us!”

“If we toss a coin in the middle, I'm sure a nice lake monster will come and ferry us across,” Bobby joked, taking his pack off and leaning it against the wall.

“So clever, Bobby, so funny,” Jinhwan replied, irritation evident in his tone of voice.

“We'll have to pay it extra to ferry Jinhwan and his grumpy attitude,” Hanbin teased, grinning at Bobby, who grinned back. Just as Bobby had anticipated, it hadn't taken him and Hanbin long to get over their awkward hesitation that came after their conversation. They were back to their regular jokes and shared grins, and he couldn't be happier for it.

Jinhwan rolled his eyes at the pair of them. “That's cute but I'm serious. Are we going to swim over there? It's right by a waterfall, it could be dangerous because we don't know what the current is like.”

“Only a few of us should go first, to check it out.” Hanbin answered. “No sense in everyone getting wet anyway until we figure out where we have to go.”

“Why don't the three of us go?” Bobby suggested, pointing to himself and Jinhwan. Hanbin was obviously going, being the expedition's leader and all.

“Shafted again,” Chanwoo sighed, making Donghyuk laugh.

“I didn't say you can't go!” Bobby replied, “just wait til we go check it out first!”

“Fine,” Chanwoo replied, dropping his pack and sitting down on it. “If you get eaten by the lake monster, I'm burning all your stuff.”

“So caring, Chanu-ya, so caring!” Bobby laughed and stripped off his shirt. They still had hours of sunlight left, but the sun had just sunk behind the tallest cliff wall, so if they wanted to dry anything out, they were going to have to head for higher ground.

“Should we take our shoes off, you think?” Jinhwan asked, dropping his pack and taking off his shirt as well. He'd just gotten it mostly dry after wearing it while swimming, he wasn't about to get it wet again.

“Probably a good idea, unless you want wet sneakers for the rest of the night,” Hanbin answered. He was fine because he'd brought sandals with him, which he was currently changing into.

Hanbin unrolled the map one final time, looking it over for any last clues.

“You think you might need the statue we found?” Chanwoo asked, and Hanbin shrugged.

“I don't know, you hold on to it for now, if I find anything that looks like it might need it, then you can just bring it over with you after we check things out.”

Chanwoo nodded and held on to the golden parrot. “Have fun getting over there and exploring! Don't go too far without me!”

Hanbin grinned and promised he wouldn't. Chanwoo sat down next to Donghyuk, watching as the three of them started swimming across the lake.

“I hope no one expects me to go over there,” Junhoe stated, grumbling.

“No one expects you to do anything other than complain,” Yunhyeong replied teasingly.

“I know what I'm good at and I stick to it!” Junhoe replied.

“Can you even swim though, if you do have to get over there?” Donghyuk asked, remembering Junhoe's concern about being in water.

“Hopefully it's not too deep,” Yunhyeong replied, “maybe if he sticks to the side it might not get that deep?”

“Jinhwan will find a way to get him over there!” Chanwoo said, grinning when Junhoe glared at him. “Maybe Bobby can piggyback you!”

“No thanks!” Junhoe replied, “I'll just stay here and you guys can keep on chasing whatever it is you're chasing.”

“We can't just leave you here!” Donghyuk said.

“Are you kidding? Sure we can!” Chanwoo teased. “We'll be better off without him! It'll be good for the movie.”

“What movie?” Junhoe asked, narrowed eyes on Chanwoo.

“Hanbin and I decided we're going to shop around a movie about our trip if we find anything! I'm going to play you.”

“Like hell you will!” Junhoe said, looking annoyed. “You're not good looking enough!”

“I'm as pretty on the outside as you are on the inside!” Chanwoo replied, which had Donghyuk and Yunhyeong laughing.

Junhoe studied him in silence for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, that’s about right.”

~

Hanbin pulled himself up onto the rock, eyes wandering around the inside of the cave. It wasn't quite what he'd been expecting. There was nothing exceptional about it, nothing jumped out at him screaming for his attention. In fact it was barely even a cave—it was just a small space behind the waterfall that was barely enough room for the three of them to stretch out. There were no other exits. He pulled out his flashlight to look around in more detail, inspecting the walls.

Bobby followed suit, helping to pull Jinhwan up. “See anything?” He asked, joining Hanbin by the wall.

“Not yet,” Hanbin answered, “I'm sure there's something here though. We just have to keep looking.”

“What are we looking for?” Jinhwan asked.

“I don't know exactly,” Hanbin answered, “maybe a hole of some kind? We have that parrot statue, the base of it was carved to look like it fits into something.”

“There wasn't anything on your map?” Jinhwan asked.

“No, there wasn't anything beyond the tree we climbed last night and the clue.”

“And you're sure we're in the right place?” Jinhwan asked, shining his light over the wall. There wasn't anything here.

“Yeah,” Hanbin answered, “I know the island, I calculated everything. It has to be here.”

Jinhwan looked at Bobby, frowning at Hanbin's answer. He wasn't about to voice anything out loud though, not yet.

“What do you think made the glow we saw last night?” Bobby asked, because he was curious about that. There had been a very distinct glow coming from the cave, and now that he thought about it, he wondered how they had seen it through the waterfall. Unless the glow was in the water? Did water ever glow?

“Probably some kind of bio luminescence or something,” Hanbin answered, though that didn't really tell Bobby much.

“Where would it come from, though?” Bobby asked, looking around the cave.

“I don't know, probably something on the walls,” Hanbin answered, still carefully inspecting everything.

“There's nothing on the walls,” Jinhwan answered, looking closer to the entrance.

“I don't know, I'm not an expert on this stuff,” Hanbin replied, his tone one of irritation.

“Well you know more than we do, so if anyone will know it'll be you.” Jinhwan replied, not wanting to say it out loud, but thinking that there was a very good chance that they weren't in the right place at all.

Bobby diligently looked around, combing the area over for anything useful. There was nothing, though, just the plain granite wall with nothing special about it. There weren't any holes or carvings, nothing at all. He caught Jinhwan’s eye again, shrugging and wondering how quickly Hanbin was going to be willing to give this up. They'd come all this way, and for what?

They kept looking, though, just to make sure. After a few sweeps Jinhwan was finally the one to call it.

“Hanbin, there's nothing here.” He stood by the entrance, arms crossed and leaning against the wall. It was cool in the cave, made a little worse by the fact that they were wet. He wanted to get back out and find the sun again, warm up a little.

“There has to be something.” Hanbin was still looking, still running fingers over the rock.

“We've looked everywhere,” Bobby said, agreeing with Jinhwan. “There isn't anything in here.”

“This can't be it,” Hanbin said, tone authoritative, “there has to be something else! We must have missed something.” Hanbin let out a frustrated whine as he looked around, refusing the believe that they'd reached the end of the trail with nothing to show for it.

“What could we have missed? Unless we're in the wrong place?” Jinhwan hated to suggest it again, but what else was there to be said?

“We're not in the wrong place!” Hanbin insisted, certain he'd calculated properly.

“But what if we are?” Jinhwan asked, trying to be as gentle as possible.

“We're not!” Hanbin yelled, “I know how to plot points on a map!” He faced away from them, leaning against the wall. “There's something here, we saw the glow last night. Maybe it only reveals itself at night.”

“Now you're getting carried away,” Jinhwan admonished, “or maybe there used to be something here, but it's gone now.”

Hanbin shook his head, refusing to accept defeat. “No, the map had us come this way for a reason! No one else has found the map, so whatever is here has to still be here!”

Jinhwan frowned at Hanbin's refusal to accept the situation, for the first time feeling legitimately worried that they might not be able to convince him to move on until he found something. “Hanbin, we still don't even know for a fact that there was anything here. Maybe the map wasn't even about treasure. Maybe they used the cave as a hideout when they were smuggling?”

“No, they had other places they used. They hid something here, I'm sure of it!” Hanbin turned off his flashlight, wishing it was completely dark. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that they needed to wait until night fell. He and Bobby both had seen the glow the night before! There was no way it was all for nothing. No way.

“Hanbin, seriously, we need to start thinking about getting out of the gorge. It was a fun adventure, but it's getting late and we only have so many hours of sunlight left. We're wet and we need to get dried off before night falls. So either the sun or a fire, and we can't have either of those if we stay here.” Jinhwan approached him, hoping he would listen to reason.

“But we saw the glow, Jinan! We saw it! It was coming from here, so there has to be something!” Hanbin's voice took on a slight note of hysteria, and Jinhwan stopped in his tracks, looking back at Bobby in alarm. He'd never heard Hanbin like this before, never heard him on the verge of a breakdown.

Jinhwan approached him again, calmly taking his hands. “Bin-ah, we can't stay here. It took us over three hours to get in, we only have maybe four hours left before it gets dark. We need to get back out and find somewhere to set up camp, and we need you for that.”

Hanbin pulled away from him, pacing the short length of the cave and hugging his arms around himself. This couldn't be all there was to show for how far they'd come! He refused to accept that.

“I can't just leave. You don't get it, I can't give up.”

Jinhwan remained calm, though he was beyond concerned. Hanbin was not the type of person who acted irrationally, and right now he was beyond irrational. “Don't get what? I know you really wanted there to be something here, but there isn't. You have to accept that.”

Hanbin didn't want to hear what Jinhwan had to say, didn't want to be told no. “Fine then, go back! I'm not stopping you.” Hanbin moodily leaned against the wall, shivering a little with a sudden chill. Going back was the smart thing to do, it was the responsible thing. But all of that was so far removed from his thoughts at the moment.

“We're not leaving you here,” Jinhwan said, looking at Bobby for back up.

“I'm not leaving until I find what we're supposed to find!” Hanbin retorted, his voice set in stubborn refusal. He didn't need any of them to stay with him! He was fine on his own.

“Bin-ah,” Bobby called, approaching him slowly, reaching out to softly take hold of his arms, his fingers rubbing soothingly over the skin, “we need to go. Think about everyone else. We need you to get back, we need you to find a spot to set up camp and start a fire.”

Hanbin shook his head, wanting to pull away from Bobby. Why couldn't either of them just leave him be? Didn't they understand how important this was? “You don't need me for that, it's not that hard.”

“We do,” Bobby said, though in reality he was far more worried about leaving Hanbin alone right now. “I know this is disappointing, but Jinan is right, we can't stay here.”

Hanbin tried to pull away but Bobby's grip tightened. “Let me go!” Hanbin demanded, a surge of anger welling up at the moment as he tried to pull away again.

But Bobby held him tightly, his fingers locked on Hanbin's arms. “What's wrong with you? Why do you need to find this so bad?” His voice was light and full of concern, the opposite of his strong grip.

Hanbin turned his head away, unable to look at Bobby after hearing his question. It was ridiculous how disarming two words could be, how quickly what's wrong was crumbling his hardened exterior and making him think about the root of his problem. There was a very specific reason that Hanbin had become so invested in this whole thing, something he'd never spoken to any of them, and the more he thought about it the more frantic and hopeless he felt.

Bobby felt helpless watching him, wishing he could figure out what the actual problem as, because there was no way that Hanbin was getting this upset just because the map had been a dud. He'd expected disappointment, sure, but Hanbin was almost wildly desperate, a look of panic in his eyes. Bobby felt weak seeing it, all he wanted to do was make it disappear. He pulled Hanbin in closer and slid an arm around his shoulders. “Come on, talk to me, you know I'm here for you.”

Bobby felt the shudder of Hanbin's sob without hearing it, and he forced Hanbin's head until he could see his face and make out the tears pooling in his eyes. Bobby just pulled him in closer, his arm sliding around Hanbin's back and keeping him tightly pressed to his chest.

“Hey what's going on? Why are you crying?”

Hanbin wanted to pull away and get a hold of himself, was desperate to not show this side to Bobby or Jinhwan or any of them. But Bobby's concerned tone and strong arms were destroying any shred of composure he had left, and suddenly he collapsed into Bobby's chest, crying the frustrations of the past year out into his shoulder. Bobby's hands rubbed soothingly over his back, still confused but doing his best despite it all.

Finally Hanbin forced words out, though it was difficult. “It's so stupid, I'm sorry.”

“Don't apologize, just talk to me.” Bobby held him close, one hand coming up to pat Hanbin's cheek, brushing tears from his eyes softly.

The intimacy of the touch had Hanbin breaking further, a whine escaping his throat as he leaned further into Bobby's embrace, letting himself be held in a way that he usually never did. Hanbin hated showing vulnerability, hated crying in front of others. But he couldn't escape it at the moment.

“Okay, I know this is dumb, but I just really wanted there to be something here because, you know, I've been doing this for so long, with my dad, and after last year... What happened with his job, when he got arrested, it's just, it's so strained between us, it's different, he's a different person now, and I was thinking that if I found something, if something was actually here and I found it because he'd been the one that got me into this, then maybe it would--” Hanbin paused, physically unable to say what he was feeling.

“It would what?” Bobby prompted, his voice soft and understanding.

Hanbin hated himself for letting it affect him. “I was thinking that maybe I could redeem him? Because he did something that hurt a lot of people, and it's just not the person I knew? That's not the dad I had growing up, and I want him to be that person again... I want something good to come from him.”

Bobby listened with growing sympathy and by the end of Hanbin's tearful rambling Bobby was blinking back tears of his own. He had no idea that Hanbin had been shouldering so much of a burden from his father's lawsuit, trying to reconcile the family man he'd known with the criminal the courts had found him to be. It brought out Bobby's protective instincts and he tightened his arms around Hanbin again, tucking Hanbin's head into the crook of his neck and leaning his chin on Hanbin's cheek.

“I get it, it's okay.” He held Hanbin for a bit, and it wasn't until Jinhwan finally joined them, both of his arms winding around Hanbin, that Bobby wondered if he'd made things worse by getting so physical again. Was he being too clingy? All he wanted to do was support him.

Jinhwan wrapped his arms all the way around Hanbin's waist and buried his face against his back, quietly crying into Hanbin's shoulder. He wanted to say something profound, wanted to help more, but nothing seemed to fit. Jinhwan had always liked Hanbin's dad, had always considered him something of a father figure since his own dad wasn't around. It had been tough this year, dealing with the aftermath of the lawsuit. Even so he still hadn't had any idea that Hanbin had been feeling so caught up in it all.

“Bin-ie, you don't have to make up for what your dad did,” Jinhwan whispered into his ear, “you don't have to atone for him.”

“I do,” Hanbin whispered back, a fresh sob wracking him at Jinhwan's words.

“No you don't.” Jinhwan hugged him tighter. “Tell him he doesn't, Bobby.”

“Jinan's right, Hanbin,” Bobby spoke calmly, “you're not responsible for your dad. You don't have to do this for him.”

“You still don't get it, it's not really for him, it's for me. Like, I know he did something terrible, and I feel like I'm not supposed to love him anymore--”

“You're allowed to love your dad, Hanbin,” Jinhwan cut in, “you can still love people even when they do bad things.”

“Yeah, just because you love him, it doesn't mean that you think what he did was okay.” Bobby added, a little surprised to hear how Hanbin felt. “If we were all judged only on things we've done, then we'd all be deserving of a lot less love than we get.”

Hanbin shrugged, finding it hard to accept sympathy. This was a big part of the reason why he never talked about all of this, because it was difficult to accept both the sympathy and the criticism. Better off just keeping it bottled up to himself.

“I just want this to have a happy ending, because we've been doing it for so long. It's the strongest tie I have to him from before his arrest, I don't want it to fail too.” Hanbin pulled away from them, fingers rubbing at his eyes. He’d never broken down like that in front of Jinhwan, not once in their lifetime of friendship. While it had felt nice to get all the feelings out, he still felt bad about it, felt guilty for piling concerns on the shoulders of people who shouldn’t be so concerned.

“I’m sorry, guys, I didn’t mean to dump all of that on you.”

“It’s okay, really, don’t feel bad. It’s good to get things off your chest.” Bobby wanted to reach out for him again and hug him more, but Hanbin needed space right now, and Bobby didn’t want to crowd him.

“It’s just been a really tough year for me, with everything. I’ve been dealing with it well, but I guess it just caught up with me.”

Jinhwan frowned and wiped at his own eyes, still feeling like he was on the verge of falling back into tears any second. “Are you sure you’ve been dealing with it? You haven’t just been repressing everything?” He didn’t mean to sound accusatory, but on one hand it kind of hurt, knowing that Hanbin had been struggling so badly and had never gone to him for help. Jinhwan would have been there for him through anything, because he was close to Hanbin’s family too.

Hanbin knew the reprimand for what it was, Jinhwan could see it on his face. “I don’t mean to lecture you, I’m sorry. It’s just that you don’t have to keep it all bottled up; you could have talked to me.”

“I know,” Hanbin answered, “I’m sorry. I just don’t like talking about it all. Minho tries to make me talk about it all the time, but, I just can’t. It’s my family problems, I don’t need to involve anyone else in them.”

“But I am involved, Hanbin,” Jinhwan replied, “what happened didn’t only hurt you, you know. Your dad was like my dad, we were close too.”

Hanbin faced Jinhwan, frowning at his words. They were true—Jinhwan was always treated like another son by both of his parents, had always been. “I’m sorry Jinan, you’re right, I haven’t even thought about you once this whole time, I just keep worrying about myself.”

“No! Don’t be sorry,” Jinhwan interrupted, “you didn’t have to think about me, it’s your family and it’s okay to think about yourself. I just mean that I wish you had talked to me about it, because I’m close. You’re a part of my family, Bin-ah, I thought I was part of yours.”

Hanbin reached out and pulled Jinhwan in for a hug, arms sliding tightly around him. “You are, I swear, you are. I’m just really terrible at talking about my problems.”

“I know,” Jinhwan replied, “but just remember that you have me, okay? Me and Taehyun, we’ve been with you for so long, you don’t have to hide anything from us. I know Minho pushes you, and I’m happy he does, but if you won’t even talk to him, you should talk to one of us.” Jinhwan pulled back and looked over at Bobby, who was watching them closely.

“You have Bobby too, now. I’m not blind, by the way, I know something happened with you two earlier. But I already caused enough problems for you this weekend, so I didn’t ask. But since we’re all alone, is everything okay with you guys?” Jinhwan looked between them, hoping that the earlier awkward feelings he'd noticed weren't from anything that terrible.

Hanbin nodded and looked at Bobby. “We’re good, right?”

Bobby smiled and moved closer, sliding an arm around both of them again. “Yeah we’re good, don't worry Jinan. And I am totally here for you any time you need to talk, Hanbin. Or even if you don’t want to talk and just need a hug.”

Hanbin grinned and wound his own arm around Bobby’s back. “You give good hugs.”

“Hug champion,” Jinhwan agreed, and he felt so much better for having been able to clear the air between them all.

“I appreciate it, honestly, both of you,” Hanbin said, and he felt like maybe he needed to explain a bit more, at least for Bobby. “After his arrest last year, I just lost so many people, almost every single friend I had. Honestly, I’m not even exaggerating, but the only people at school who really stuck by me were Taehyun and Minho, everyone else treated me like garbage. And it wasn’t just me, but mom too. Families we were close with for years, her school friends even, everyone turned on us. If it wasn't for Jinan's parents, I don't even know how mom would have gotten through it.”

Bobby listened and couldn't help but feel a little guilty for holding such a poor opinion of Taehyun and Minho all along. They were clearly beyond loyal to Hanbin, and here Bobby had been, hoping to take Hanbin away from them after they'd both fought for him. He understood why Hanbin would choose to cling so tightly to them. Minho especially must love Hanbin a lot to have protected him after his father's scandal.

“Anyway, I know you guys are right. We should leave, I need to bury this and get over it. But thanks for listening, and you know, dealing with all of that.” Hanbin cringed at his own words, unused to being so open with painful emotions.

“It's okay, really. Your freak out was justified!” Bobby teasingly replied, ruffling Hanbin's hair.

“I'm happy I got to hear it all,” Jinhwan said, “I was starting to think you weren't capable of having feelings.”

Hanbin grinned. “Oh come on, I'm not that bad!”

“You're my oldest friend, Hanbin, and this is the first time I've ever seen you seriously upset. I know you hate it, but you don't have to. It's okay to let people help you. Or at least me, it's okay to let me help you.” Jinhwan squeezed his arms around Hanbin again, hugging him tightly.

Hanbin just smiled and hugged him back, letting Jinhwan have his moment. Maybe, if he was being honest with himself, it was kind of nice. It wasn't something he was going to do often, talking about his problems, but maybe he'd talk to Jinhwan about the big ones.

The three of them walked over to the cave entrance, pausing before heading back to the others.

“What do we tell them?” Bobby asked, already anticipating Chanwoo's look of disappointment.

“That we found the treasure, and it's friendship!” Jinhwan joked, making Hanbin groan.

“Save that for when June starts complaining,” Hanbin said with a grin.

“Seriously, one of you has to tell Chanu, I don't think I can.” Bobby said.

“As the expedition leader, I will take on that burden,” Hanbin teased him.

“I appreciate it, he's got a world class pouting face, don't say I didn't warn you!” Bobby replied with a wink. “Well, let's get going then?” He left the cave and they heard him splash into the water.

Hanbin made to follow suit but was stopped by Jinhwan's hand on his arm.

“You sure you're okay?” Jinhwan asked, and Hanbin nodded.

“I'm disappointed, but I'm okay. You don't have to worry about me.”

“I know, but I will anyway, just so you know. I love you, Bin-ah, and I'm sorry about everything that happened or didn't happen this weekend.”

Hanbin shook his head and pulled away. “Come on, Jinan, I can't handle another emotional conversation right now!” He teased, pulling him toward the lake.

Jinhwan sighed in exasperation. “You and June both need to start being a little more respectful to me!”

Hanbin laughed and turned back around to face him. “Ugh, fine. I love you too, hyung!” He made an exaggerated display of hugging Jinhwan, who laughed and shoved him away.

“Okay forget I said anything, hearing you call me hyung feels too weird.”

Hanbin laughed and pulled him out to the lake finally. “I appreciate you worrying about me, really I do. I know I'm shit at expressing that, but, it means a lot to me. I've never thanked you for sticking by me, have I?”

“You know you don't need to.”

“I do, though. I don't want you to think I take you for granted. You're my oldest friend too, you're very important to me.” Hanbin squeezed his hand, and Jinhwan wasn't sure what to make of this sudden declaration from him. He felt like crying again, but this time it would be from happiness.

He never got the chance, though, because Hanbin shoved him into the lake with a laugh. Jinhwan spluttered in the water, finally righting himself and glaring at a laughing Hanbin. He should have known better.

While Jinhwan and Hanbin delayed by the cave, Bobby was just pulling himself out of the water near where the others were waiting. He looked back to see the other two were far behind him and felt like cursing. He wanted Hanbin to be the one to break the news, but he'd gotten back first like an idiot.

“Finally! We were wondering what was taking you guys so long,” Chanwoo said, standing by the wall with his arms crossed.

“Uh, yeah, about that,” Bobby started, wondering how he was going to possibly explain this.

“You didn't find anything, did you?” Chanwoo asked, and Bobby was a little surprised by the tone of his statement.

“No, we didn't.”

Chanwoo nodded and was about to go on, but Junhoe beat him to the punch.

“Well you guys can actually thank me, because I'm the one who found it!”

“Found what?” Bobby asked, looking at their faces and seeing the matching grins.

“The staircase.”

“What staircase?” Bobby asked again, irritated that Junhoe was being so short with his answers.

“The suicide mission staircase that no one should be climbing,” Yunhyeong answered sullenly.

Bobby sighed and had a feeling they were all doomed.

“Should we wait for Hanbin and Jinan, or do you want to see it yourself?” Junhoe asked, grinning happily.

“We'll wait.” Bobby answered, and he sat down to do just that. On one hand, this staircase sounded like a terrible idea if Yunhyeong was so against it, but on the other, if it really was part of the hunt, and it lead them to where they actually needed to be?

He waited for the other two and hoped that this wasn't just another dead end. Hanbin had accepted the cave in the end, but Bobby was worried about a second trail going cold.

In the end he'd let Hanbin make the call, though, and Bobby would be there if he broke down again.


	11. The Stairs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Climb or go back—but there's no going back.

“No way, this is a death trap, no one is climbing it!” Jinhwan exclaimed, shaking his head as he stared up at the staircase that Junhoe had found. The steps were carved into the side of one of the cliffs and had been hidden from view on their walk in. The stairs themselves were small and extended dangerously high in a steep and narrow climb, the task absolutely daunting to stare up at.

“We have to try it,” Hanbin said, trying to keep his voice steady and calm. While it was certainly dangerous, it was also definitely man-made and not natural, which meant that there had to be something up there for them.

“We thought about not saying anything,” Donghyuk explained, “but the more we thought about it, this has to be the answer, especially since there was nothing in the cave you found. I had been wondering how you had seen the light last night, since the walls should have covered it. But if where we need to go is up there, then it makes perfect sense. Your calculations weren't off, they just weren't high enough.”

“It's too dangerous, though. Someone is going to get hurt for sure if you try to climb up there.” Yunhyeong hadn't wanted to tell them about the staircase, but he'd been outvoted 3-1. Chanwoo and Donghyuk wanted to try the climb, while Junhoe just thought it would make for good drama.

“We have to see, though, we came this far,” Hanbin said, “I need to do this.”

Bobby looked from Hanbin to the stairs and back again, certain he was about to make the dumbest decision ever. “I'll do it.”

“No way, I can't let you take that risk!” Hanbin replied, not having expected anyone to volunteer. He couldn't let Bobby do it, though, couldn't let him take the risk. It was a stupid risk—hugely stupid—and if anything happened to him Hanbin would never forgive himself.

“Here's the thing—if we do have to get up there, then whoever goes first should help everyone else. We can use Jinan's rope, tie it off and help pull people up. I'm the strongest one here, so it should be me.” Bobby focused on Hanbin as he spoke, because he was the leader and he was the only other one who would fight Bobby to be the first one up. “I'm not being over protective, Hanbin, just sensible. If you go first and I follow and slip, I'll just pull you over with me. But I can catch you, I can catch any of you. So it has to be me.”

“But what if you fall?” Hanbin asked, his stomach already clenched tightly with the thought of Bobby putting himself in danger.

“I'll be careful.”

Everyone was quiet, content to let Hanbin and Bobby duke it out to be the first one to try the steps.

Hanbin crossed his arms over his chest and wanted to protest, wanted to be the first one because he didn't want anyone else to get hurt for him. But Bobby made a good point that he couldn't ignore. After all, if they did have to climb up, he didn't expect the others to stay below and wait for him. They would all have to climb, and Bobby was the strongest one here.

“Okay.” Hanbin looked at Bobby and nodded. “Be careful, though. Go slow and do it safely. If you get tired stop and rest.”

Bobby nodded, looking back at the stairs and cursing himself. What was he thinking? This was a death trap! But if he didn't go, he knew Hanbin would, and Bobby couldn't take the chance of Hanbin getting hurt. “I'll be careful, I promise.” He reached out and threaded his fingers with Hanbin's.

Hanbin wanted to hug him, wanted to kiss him too, because this was extremely dangerous and if he slipped it was very possible that he might end up falling to his death. But he just squeezed back and tried to say everything with a single look because he didn't trust himself to speak. He let go of Bobby's hand, watching as he retrieved the rope from Jinhwan. Bobby approached the steps and coiled the rope around himself.

God, if this wasn't the dumbest thing he'd ever done! But he had to try, he had to see what was up there, for Hanbin. It would also be a quicker way to get them all out of the gorge, rather than hiking back three hours. Everyone was wet and soon they'd be cold. They needed to get somewhere dry.

He started to climb, his fingers clinging tightly to the wet granite steps, carefully placing his feet each time he climbed up. It was sheer and straight and absolutely terrifying. The roar of the water below stayed with him as he climbed, a reminder of what they'd walked through to get here. He had to make it to the top, he had to.

Hanbin watched with fearful eyes, stomach in knots and fingers digging painfully into his own arms. Bobby wasn't even halfway yet and he was already so high. Hanbin was terrified for him, scared of him getting hurt and already feeling guilty about whatever would happen. After everything that had happened today, Hanbin could barely watch.

Jinhwan came to stand next to him, sliding an arm around Hanbin's waist and hugging him. They watched Bobby together, both equally as worried.

Junhoe, however, simply sat down to watch Bobby climb, surprised he'd agreed to do it. While it was terrifying to think of doing, because the stairs were so steep and so high and he had a fear of heights that was sometimes paralyzing, he didn't want to admit that he was afraid or even worried.

“I can't believe the idiot actually did it,” he said out loud, ignoring the glares the others directed at him, “showing off like a fool.”

“You gonna go next?” Chanwoo asked him, knowing that Junhoe's best defense mechanism was humour and insults.

“Hell no,” Junhoe answered, “I don't feel like dying!” He grinned for a moment before realizing that maybe what he'd said was a little cold. After all, it was Chanwoo's brother that was currently at risk of dying. Junhoe frowned and met Chanwoo's eyes.

“That was probably really cold of me, uh, sorry.”

Chanwoo however, just grinned. “Did I hear that? Did Junhoe just apologize?”

“For being thoughtless? I didn't think that was possible!” Donghyuk joined in.

“You know, screw both of you! This is what happens when I try to be nice.”

Chanwoo just laughed, glad for the distraction of teasing Junhoe because it meant he could focus on something other than watching his brother climb the world's most dangerous staircase. “It doesn't count if you don't actually mean it, though.”

“I meant it!” Junhoe retorted, though now he wished he hadn't. Of course Chanwoo wouldn't take offence at his joke! And Bobby was his brother, so even if anyone else had taken offence, he really only had to worry about Chanwoo's feelings. So he'd apologized for nothing after all. “I'm never doing it again, though.”

“Good,” Chanwoo teased, “it feels weird hearing apologies coming out of your mouth!” He sat down next to Junhoe, glancing up at Bobby and glancing quickly away again. He was up really high, and suddenly Chanwoo was wondering if they'd made the right decision after all. Sure it had looked dangerous before, but now with someone actually up there it looked so much worse. Were they really all going to climb it? How were they going to convince Junhoe or Yunhyeong to do it? Could he even do it himself?

“Honestly though I am sorry. It's actually really terrifying to watch him.” Junhoe couldn't stop the words before they came out, because watching Bobby climb was having the same effect on him as it was on Chanwoo. Even though he and Bobby were at each other's throats a lot, constantly teasing and bothering each other, Junhoe liked Bobby, a lot, and didn't want anything to happen to him.

Chanwoo forced himself to look up again, watching as Bobby stopped in his climb, hugging as close to the stairs as possible. “Yeah it is pretty scary.”

“You still sure you want to do it?” Junhoe asked him.

Chanwoo nodded, even though on the inside he was thinking that maybe this was just a little too dangerous. “Yeah, of course. We have to find the cave, after all.”

Junhoe shook his head. “You guys are all idiots.”

“You're gonna have to climb too,” Chanwoo teased him, “you can't stay here on your own.”

“Hah, watch me try!” Junhoe replied, nervous at the simple act of talking about it. Maybe he'd just keep his eyes closed and make Bobby pull him up instead. There was no way he could actually climb that himself.

“The hyungs won't let you, Jinan especially!” Chanwoo replied. “I mean your bet is still active for the rest of the day, after all.”

“Fuck the bet! It doesn't extend to life or death situations!” Junhoe replied. “Shit, sorry I keep talking about death!”

Chanwoo grinned and couldn't help but laugh. Junhoe rarely ever got so flustered when he spoke. “If anything happens to Bobby, you're gonna feel like such an asshole!”

“Shut up! Nothing is gonna happen to him, he'll be fine!” Junhoe whined, eyes going back up to Bobby. “He's strong, so he'll be fine.”

Bobby, however, was struggling. He wasn't even sure how high up he was, because looking up was giving him vertigo, while looking down just took his breath away in the worst way imaginable. His arms were burning, his fingers too, though he knew it was just because he was holding the rock so tightly. If he just relaxed his grip a little he'd be fine, because there was enough of a slight angle that kept him secure if he leaned forward into the steps.

He forced himself to take a deep breath, trying his best to stay calm despite the grip of terror he was currently in. This was definitely the dumbest decision he'd ever made, no question about it. Now that he was up here he couldn't believe he'd actually gone through with it.

He was currently taking a break to rest his arms and legs, though now that he'd stopped moving he was shivering from the cold. He was wet and up here, blocked from the sun, where the wind constantly blew against him, he wished he'd thought about putting a sweater on for the climb. He'd left his bag at the bottom, though, so he could only hope that once he got over the wall and the sun was still visible he'd be able to warm up.

Bobby pushed on again, hand reaching up for the next step, slowly pulling himself up. The vertigo struck again and he had to stop, had to force his brain to fight it. It was because he was nervous, because he was afraid. There was nothing physically wrong with him, he could work through it.

He reached up again, pushing up with his feet and steadying himself with his hands. It worked, as long as he concentrated closely on the climb and on breathing properly. Before he knew it he was at the top, pulling himself up onto the flat cliff top, sprawling happily in the dry grass. He stared up at the sky, laughing suddenly, giddy now that he'd actually made it up.

He laid still for a minute, giving himself time to recuperate from the mental struggle. His limbs were jelly, but he knew he'd be fine once he rested for a moment. He still had to help everyone else, after all.

But first he sat up and looked around, eyes searching for something, for any sign that they had made the right choice.

He saw it right away, about fifty feet in the distance. There was a cave opening, and all around it vegetation grew. Should he go and check it out, just to make sure it wasn't a dead end? Should be wait for Hanbin? Maybe just worry about getting everyone up here first, because even if the cave was a dud again, at least they could set up camp up here, where everything was dry and flat and perfect for their needs. He already felt warmth returning to him since the sun was visible again. Not only warmth but peace of mind as well, the bright sunlight chasing away the nervous anxiety he'd felt at the climb.

He'd made it, he was safe, and his parents were going to murder him if they ever saw that staircase. Bobby couldn't help but laugh, picturing his mother's face and her angry screams as she chased him, his father quietly allowing her to beat him senseless over the unnecessary danger.

She'd definitely kill him when she found out that he'd let Chanwoo do it too. But it would be worth it. If they really did find something in the cave, it would all be worth it.

So he'd wait for Hanbin, and he'd wait for the others. They'd come this far together, and if there really was something there, Bobby didn't want to find it by himself.

Hanbin breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Bobby clear the top of the cliff, letting out the breath he'd been holding. One down. Six of them to go.

“I can't believe he made it,” Jinhwan rested his head on Hanbin's chest, feeling exhausted after watching Bobby's climb. They'd been quiet the whole time, eyes glued on him, neither of them speaking out loud. But now everything was okay, because Bobby was safe. Now all they had to worry about were the rest of them.

“Listen, Jinan, I think you should stay and go last,” Hanbin said, “someone who knows how to tie ropes and do first aid should stay, not that anything will happen but, just in case.”

Jinhwan nodded. Either he or Hanbin should be the last one up, and he didn't expect Hanbin to wait, not after the disappointment of the fake cave. “I agree, I'll go last. You're stronger than me, so you'll be more help to Bobby if someone slips.”

“Exactly. I think we should do a bowline with the rope, under the arms is probably the safest.” Jinhwan agreed, and they discussed more safety concerns while they waited for Bobby to reappear.

When he took a bit longer than expected, Jinhwan stared up at the top of the stairs. “What's taking him so long?”

“Probably just resting,” Hanbin said, “I know I would be if I'd just free climbed that myself.”

“True,” Jinhwan replied, but still felt nervous. Wouldn't he have at least waved to them, let them know he was okay? The longer they waited, the more nervous Jinhwan felt. What if something was up there? What if Bobby was in trouble?

Just as he was about to comment again Bobby appeared, waving to them from up top. Jinhwan clung to Hanbin in relief again, smiling as he watched Bobby's excited face as he tossed the end of the rope down. Hanbin went forward to catch the end of it, starting to prepare himself to climb. Jinhwan was there next to him, discussing the best way to secure themselves.

“I was thinking, maybe you should add an alpine butterfly loop, so you have something to catch in case you slip,” Jinhwan said, stopping Hanbin just as he was about to tie himself to the rope.

“Good thinking,” he agreed, “easier to get leverage if I have that to pull on.” Hanbin tied the loop into the line before finishing the knot around himself, the rope snug under his arms, no chance of it slipping over his head if he lost his grip. Once he was finished he looked back at Jinhwan, who was looking at him with a worried expression.

“Hey, I'll be careful, I promise.” Hanbin tried to put on as confident a voice as possible, but it still wavered in the face of Jinhwan's concern.

“I know you will,” Jinhwan replied, blinking back tears. This had been a long, draining day already, he just wanted everyone safely at the top.

“You be careful too when it's your turn,” Hanbin said, pulling Jinhwan into a hug.

Jinhwan buried his face in Hanbin's chest, arms tight around his back. He hated feeling so scared but he couldn't help it. Climbing was a little bit safer with the rope and Bobby at the top, but it was still beyond dangerous, and after Hanbin's emotional collapse earlier Jinhwan was feeling bizarrely protective of him. He knew Hanbin would probably have the easiest time climbing out of any of them, having the most experience, but accidents could happen to anyone. “Be safe,” he said with a sniffle as he pulled back.

“I will be. You look after everyone down here, okay?” Hanbin replied, slightly uncomfortable with Jinhwan's emotional display, but also kind of happy for it. It was nice to know he was so cared for.

“Alright, well, like you told Bobby, take it slow and rest if you get tired. Do you want me to send Donghyuk or Yunhyeong next?”

Hanbin thought about it for a moment, deciding on Donghyuk. “Send Chanwoo after Donghyuk, the more people at the top on the rope, the more comfortable Yunhyeong will be. Good luck getting Junhoe to come up, though.”

Jinhwan grinned at the comment. “Might have to knock him out and just have you guys pull him up.”

“Probably!” Hanbin laughed and looked up at the vertical climb, trying his best to steel his nerves. “Alright, time for me to go. See you up top soon!” Hanbin gave him one last hug before stepping away to the base of the staircase, looking up to meet Bobby's watchful eyes, sending him a double thumbs up to let him know he was on his way. Bobby nodded and got into position, lying on his stomach to watch Hanbin's ascent. It probably wasn't the safest way to be someone's anchor, but Bobby didn't think Hanbin would slip, and he wanted to watch him so he'd know if anything was about to happen.

The climb was easy at the beginning, a little scary because of how sheer the staircase was, but the steps weren't too high so Hanbin quickly climbed them, working his entire body together so he didn't stress one set of limbs more than the other. He'd done a lot of rock climbing back in the US when he'd been there for school, learning proper mountaineering skills when they'd done a unit on cave exploration. He enjoyed rock climbing, though usually it was done with proper gear in a much safer environment.

But as long as he stayed focused on what he was doing and didn't let his mind wander, he'd be okay. He knew it was possible to get up safely, because Bobby had already done it, and he was a better climber than Bobby. But he couldn't be over confident, because that was how you screwed up and made mistakes.

Plus he knew everyone was watching him, and if he fucked up and slipped, it would make everyone else that much more nervous about their owns climbs. He had to do it properly without error so the others would think it would be okay. That was his job right now.

Jinhwan watched from below, trying to stay calm, trying to show confidence in Hanbin's abilities. He was the one in charge at the bottom now, and if he spent his time fretting in nervous anxiety it would only make the others feel worse. It was hard to relax, though, because he was still bristling from the anxiety he'd felt watching Bobby, and now watching Hanbin just compounded all the feelings back again.

He was surprised when he felt a pair of arms slip around him, and looked to the side to find Donghyuk there.

“Don't worry hyung, Hanbin will be okay!” Donghyuk whispered in his ear, bright smile on his face.

Jinhwan was grateful for Donghyuk's optimism. “I know.”

“I hope there really is some kind of treasure waiting for us, there has to be, right? I mean why would they go to the trouble of carving out these steps? How did they even do it? Why would they even do it? It's just so weird.” Donghyuk reached out to tough the roughly carved granite, fingers rubbing over the wet surface.

“Always so inquisitive,” Jinhwan replied affectionately, glad Donghyuk had approached him. It helped to take his mind off of Hanbin.

“Well it's an interesting situation, don't you think? How did they know there was something worth climbing up for? How did they figure that out?”

“I don't know. Hopefully we find out when we get up though!” Jinhwan wasn't sure what they'd find, but he figured there had to be something promising, otherwise Bobby wouldn't be telling them all the climb, would he? If there was nothing except the rocky top of the cliff, he probably would have told them not to come up.

“I'm excited either way! Better to expect something good and be excited for a while, rather than expect nothing and wonder why you're bothering, right?” 

Jinhwan smiled and wrapped an arm around Donghyuk. “Ah, you're so positive, it's nice! I'm happy you're here.”

Donghyuk smiled back. “Someone needs to keep everyone in good spirits!” Donghyuk replied, and Jinhwan agreed. It was easy to get caught up worrying so much, so having a positive outlook was good for him.

Hanbin was over the halfway mark before he stopped briefly, taking a moment to flex his fingers and stretch his shoulders as much as he could, leaning against the wall. The worst part of it all was actually hold cold it was, climbing up. He hadn't thought about that and he wished he had. It was a combination of being wet from the swim, pressing up against wet cold stone, and the wind that constantly buffeted him against the rock. He'd have to tell the others to put warmer clothes on for their climbs. Even though he was cold he could still work against it, but the weaker climbers would have a more difficult go.

He glanced up from where he was currently stopped, seeing Bobby watching him. Bobby waved to him and Hanbin smiled back, wanting Bobby to know that he was doing okay. Bobby smiled back at him and Hanbin wiggled his fingers in greeting before getting started again, wanting to get up to the top as soon as possible to get warmed up. He pushed off strongly, still finding the climb relatively easy despite the straight angle. Before he knew it he was nearing the top, Bobby reaching out for his hands to help pull him up.

Hanbin collapsed on the ground next to him, his feet still hanging over the edge but not concerned about that. He'd made it up safely and he breathed a sigh of relief, staring up at the blue sky.

“Welcome to the top!” Bobby excitedly said in greeting, his arms spread wide. “We have trees and grass and a cave!”

Hanbin sat up and looked in the direction Bobby had pointed, eyes wide in excitement. He half wanted to run over there now and explore, but he steeled his excitement. It was more important to get everyone up here along with their gear, because even if there was nothing in the cave, this was a great spot to set up for the night. They'd just have to make sure no one went wandering in the dark.

“So how was it?” Bobby asked him, watching as Hanbin began to untie the rope.

“Good!” Hanbin replied, feeling energized after the climb. “Easier than I expected, actually, but I'm used to actual rock climbing, so I guess that's not surprising. It was cold, though! I can't believe I didn't think to put on a hoodie.”

Bobby moved closer to him and reached out, wrapping his arms around Hanbin. “Yeah I meant to tell you to put one on but I got distracted by just making it up here.”

Hanbin burrowed into Bobby's arms, seeking out warmth and not giving a thought to how awkward this should have been for them after their discussion earlier. It was simply survival. They remained close for a bit until Hanbin warmed up, and they both approached the top of the cliff carefully, looking over at the rest of the group.

Hanbin waved and the others waved back, Donghyuk's smiling face standing next to Jinhwan's relieved one. Hanbin waved at Donghyuk and tried to mime the act of putting a hoodie on, because there was no way they were going to hear them over the water.

“What's he doing?” Donghyuk asked, watching Hanbin waving his arms around.

“I don't know,” Jinhwan answered, and it wasn't until Hanbin mimed flipping a hood up over his head that Jinhwan got it. “I think he's telling you to put a hoodie on! It must be cold climbing up, the rock is wet after all, and you're in the shadows.”

“Good idea!” Donghyuk went to his bag and rifled through it for his sweater, pulling it out and tossing it on over his t-shirt. He went back to join Jinhwan, lifting his arms so the rope could be tied around him.

“Okay, take your time and be careful, stay close to the wall, don't lean back. If you slip don't panic, Bobby will catch you, he's strong enough to hold you up. If it happens just relax, grab the loop on the rope for leverage, and pull yourself back to the steps, okay?” Jinhwan was through in his instructions, wanting to make sure he addressed any possible scenario with Donghyuk before letting him climb.

“Got it, hyung!” Donghyuk cheerily replied, eager to get going even though he was scared. This was by far the most dangerous thing he'd ever done, but Hanbin and Bobby had done it, so he was confident that he could do it too.

“Make sure you climb with your arms and your legs, okay? Don't just pull yourself up, cause you'll get tired faster. Stop for a break if you need to.” Jinhwan was sure he could make it up, but he was still worried about letting him go. It was a different concern than he'd had with Hanbin, because while both of them were younger than he was, Jinhwan knew that Hanbin had experience in this sort of thing, while Donghyuk didn't. It would be more nerve wracking to watch him try to climb, he'd feel more responsible if something happened.

“Got it!” But Donghyuk was all smiles as he got ready, looking up above to find Hanbin looking down at him. Bobby had positioned himself more securely in case anything happened, glad to have Hanbin there to keep his eyes on Donghyuk.

Donghyuk's climb started out well, it wasn't too bad at the base, but the higher he got the more nervous he felt. He'd never been so high before, except in an airplane, and that was entirely different. His limbs were starting to ache too, his shoulders not used to being used in this way. He had to stop for a moment to rest, wanting to stretch his arms but too afraid to move them very far.

Hanbin watched from above, close enough to grab the rope if Bobby needed help. It was easier with two of them, Hanbin able to be Bobby's eyes. He watched as Donghyuk stopped, saw him rolling his shoulders.

“Keep the rope tight, he's stopped,” Hanbin advised, and Bobby took up the slack, keeping it just taut enough that if Donghyuk slipped he wouldn't go far.

Donghyuk reached up for the next step, his fingers gripping the rock though his arms were tired. He thought he'd been in pretty decent shape before this, but he was starting to rethink that now. Should he be getting this tired already? Was he not climbing properly, the way Jinhwan had told him? Was he using his arms too much?

He tried pushing up more with his legs, using his hands for balance only, but his shoe slipped on the wet granite, sliding off the step entirely and he felt his heart drop out of his chest as he fell back, but the scream stopped in his throat when the rope went taut, and Jinhwan's words came back to him then. He grabbed the loop in the rope that was dangling by his face, held tightly to it, his feet digging into the granite steps. He carefully pulled himself back to the wall, his body shaking with fear at having almost fallen.

But he didn't fall, and he was okay. He stayed huddled against the steps, cheek pressed against the wet rock, trying to calm his breathing down. His hands were shaking against the rock and he tried to calm himself by reciting his favourite prayer out loud, trying to distract himself from thinking about what had just happened.

It wasn't until he felt the rope tugging against his cheek that he looked back up. Hanbin was looking at him from the top, smiling and giving him a double thumbs up, motioning for him to start climbing again. Donghyuk weakly smiled back, feeling buoyed by Hanbin's positive reaction.

He was okay. He'd almost fallen but Bobby had caught him easily, in fact that there had barely been a struggle at all. He shakily started climbing again, determined to make it up now without any further mistakes. He didn't want anyone to worry about him anymore than they probably were already.

Hanbin watched as Donghyuk started climbing again, breathing a sigh of relief when he seemed to be okay again. “Alright he's good, he's climbing again. Keep the rope taut though, just in case he gets tired again.” Bobby did as told, feeling better now that Hanbin had assured him that Donghyuk was okay.

Back on the ground all four of them were huddled together, watching as Donghyuk started climbing again. Everyone had been quiet while they'd watched him struggle momentarily, too scared to say anything.

Junhoe was the first one to relax. “Ah why are we worried? Bobby's got this!” He was still terrified on the inside, couldn't stand to watch Donghyuk anymore, but he tried to downplay the fear by waving the concern away.

“A true team quarterback,” Chanwoo joked, glad that Junhoe had broken the silence first. He'd been terrified, watching his best friend flounder, but it was best to move on and not focus on how dangerous it was. After all, he had to climb next. He didn't want to psych himself out by worrying about Donghyuk!

“Well now you know if you do slip, Bobby's got you,” Jinhwan said, trying to follow suit and be positive. He was shaking though, and he didn't stop until Yunhyeong put his arm around him.

“He's okay, Jinan,” Yunhyeong said, though his voice was shaky as well. Jinhwan didn't reply, just stood together with Yunhyeong and watched as Donghyuk finally made it over. Maybe it was a good thing that someone had slipped, he thought, because it showed everyone that their system was going to work. At least that's what he was going to keep telling himself.

Donghyuk couldn't help but break into tears when he reached the top, elation at being safe again crashing head first with shame at having slipped up and freaked out. Hanbin was there immediately, pulling him in for a hug.

“Hey, you're okay, you made it, you did good!” Hanbin told him, whispering soothingly against his ear.

Donghyuk couldn't stop his tears, though. “I'm sorry,” he choked out around a sob, “I freaked out, I—I'm sorry!”

“No, you did good!” Bobby was there too, a hand on Donghyuk's head, ruffling his hair.

“No I didn't!” Donghyuk said with a shaky breath, feeling bad for being so upset.

“You did, though,” Hanbin said firmly, “you did exactly what you were supposed to do. You stayed calm, you got yourself back on the wall, and you got up. You did really good!”

Donghyuk tried to still his sobbing, finally looking up at both of them.

Bobby's protective instincts came out and he pulled Donghyuk in tight against his chest. “It's okay, Dong-ie, you don't have to feel bad about it! Think of it this way—you have a cool story to tell your dad!” Bobby cuddled him close while Hanbin untied the rope and went back to the edge, throwing it down and motioning to Jinhwan that he wanted to pull his pack up before they sent Chanwoo up.

Donghyuk let Bobby comfort him, crying a little bit more while Bobby continued to whisper soothing things in his ear. He felt a little bad at breaking down, but Bobby kept telling him not to feel bad, that the important thing was that he was safe.

A minute later and Hanbin was pulling his pack over the side, retrieving his water and joining the pair again.

“Here, drink some water,” he offered to Donghyuk, rubbing his knee as he drank. “Think of this too—everyone got to see that Bobby really can save the day if something happens!”

“Yeah! How easy was it, huh? I bet you barely even slipped far, did you?”

Donghyuk calmed a bit with the water, wiping at his eyes with the sleeve of his hoodie. “Yeah, I barely felt it, really.”

“See? You have nothing to be upset about, then!” Bobby told him, ruffling a hand through his hair again.

Donghyuk took another sip of water before handing the canteen back to Hanbin.

“Thanks, guys. I'm sorry I got so upset.”

“It's okay,” Hanbin told him, “you're not the first person who had a breakdown today.”

Bobby grinned. “Hanbin's talking about himself, by the way.”

Hanbin glared at him, before grinning at Donghyuk. “I was crying over finding a fake cave. At least you were crying because you could have died!”

Donghyuk couldn't help himself, he laughed at Hanbin's comment. “Did you really cry? I don't believe that.”

“I did! Ask Bobby, or Jinan when he gets up!”

“Full on meltdown!” Bobby said, winking at Donghyuk.

“It was not that bad!” Hanbin yelled at him, making Donghyuk laugh.

“It was so! But you never cry, so it's understandable.” Bobby grinned as Hanbin shook his head.

“Aw hyung, it's okay!” Donghyuk moved from Bobby to Hanbin, hugging him tightly. “Everyone's allowed to cry!”

“Yeah I know, just, don't tell the others!” Hanbin joked, hugging Donghyuk back. “Seriously though, you did good. You should be proud of yourself; you don't climb and that was pretty terrifying for your first time. You reacted really well, and in the end you got over it and climbed up.”

Donghyuk looked up to meet Hanbin's eyes, and the look in them made Donghyuk feel a lot better. Hanbin looked at him with such a proud expression that Donghyuk believe what he'd said.

“Thanks, hyung.” He hugged him again and they spent a minute together before finally pulling apart.

Hanbin locked eyes with Bobby, who was looking at them with an affectionate gaze, his smile wide. But Hanbin had reached his limit at the moment for affection, so he simply shoved his water at Bobby, gruffly telling him to have a drink before getting ready for Chanwoo. Bobby grinned and followed the instruction.

Soon Bobby was back in position, Donghyuk sitting behind him with his hands on the rope by Bobby's, ready to help him pull if needed. Hanbin watched as Chanwoo started his ascent, carefully monitoring his progress. Chanwoo made it over the top without slipping, though he took the longest of any of them thus far. He happily reunited with Donghyuk once he cleared the top, pulling him into a tight hug.

After that they pulled up more of the gear, and then came Yunhyeong, who slipped in his footing once but was quickly caught, making it over the top easily. Junhoe was next, but it took a while for Jinhwan to really talk him into it. Junhoe turned out to be a terrible climber, though, struggling from the beginning. Halfway through and he seemed to give up, trying to climb but not being able to physically get himself moving.

“He's not that out of shape, is he?” Hanbin stared down from above, concerned with how they could do this. If they pulled Junhoe, he was worried that the rope might start to fray with the weight.

“I think he's scared,” Chanwoo said, lying next to Hanbin, “he'll probably say he was too tired, but I think he's too afraid to climb.”

“No way, Junhoe? He talked the most shit before we got started,” Bobby said, surprised to hear Chanwoo's comment.

“Well yeah, that's what he does when he's afraid of doing something!” Donghyuk added, “he's always been like that.”

“The more shit he talks, the more afraid he is.” Chanwoo confirmed.

“So what do we do? I'm worried about the rope if we just pull him,” Hanbin explained. “It's fine when it's just holding, but the friction of pulling something heavy up might fray it.”

“Can we put anything under it?” Yunhyeong asked.

Hanbin thought for a moment, trying to think of something they'd have access to. “We need something stiff and smooth, do we have anything plastic?”

“Water bottle?” Yunhyeong suggested. “I have an empty one in my bag.”

“Get it,” Hanbin told him, hoping it would work. “Take off the cap and flatten it, I'll see if I can slide it under the rope. Might need one of you to help me hold it in place, though.”

Hanbin took the flattened bottle from Yunhyeong and inched his way closer to where the rope extended down over the top. “Bobby, give me a bit of slack!” He yelled, “not too much though, in case he's not holding on down there.” Thankfully it seemed like Junhoe was supporting himself against the wall, and Hanbin quickly held the rope away from the rock and slid the flattened bottle underneath. Yunhyeong laid down next to him, holding the plastic in place on the other side.

“Okay everyone else on the rope with Bobby,” Hanbin instructed, “when I tell you to pull, pull slowly! I want to make sure this will work first.” He kept his fingers in place, hoping he and Yunhyeong wouldn't get them crushed by the shifting rope. “Okay, pull!”

Bobby had a tight grip on the rope and pulled back, Chanwoo and Donghyuk helping. The rope slowly slid up, Hanbin and Yunhyeong guiding it so it slid over the plastic.

“It's working! Keep going slow, though!” Hanbin instructed, and ten minutes later they were hauling a shaking Junhoe over the top.

“You're good, we got you,” Hanbin said as he grabbed Junhoe's hands and helped to pull him over. Yunhyeong grabbed him too, and together they lifted him up until he had completely cleared the top. Junhoe laid on the ground with his eyes closed, and when the others surged forward to crowd around him Hanbin waved them off.

Hanbin took one of Junhoe's arms and rubbed it. “Come on, stop being lazy, we just did all the work!” If what Chanwoo and Donghyuk had said was true, and Junhoe had locked up from being afraid, Hanbin thought it might be best to try and bring him back around with some jokes. Not that he'd known Junhoe very long, but he had noticed that they shared a lot of similarities, and he was pretty confident that Junhoe was like him and hated appearing vulnerable. Trying to reassure him the way he and Bobby had done with Donghyuk earlier would probably only make Junhoe feel worse.

Hanbin was right, and Junhoe was grateful that he wasn't trying to reassure him verbally too much. “Fuck off, hyung!” Junhoe replied, rolling on to his stomach and burying his face in his arms. He was still shaking, his breathing erratic, but if any of them tried to baby him right now he'd never forgive them.

Hanbin grinned and rubbed Junhoe's shoulder. “Seriously, that was the sorriest display I've ever seen! When we get back we're taking you to the gym! Bobby's gonna be your personal trainer!”

“I'm never leaving the city ever again!” Junhoe grumbled, glad that no one was really making a big deal out of him freezing. He was embarrassed about it, though he felt like he shouldn't be. So what if he had a fear of heights? People were allowed to have fears! If anyone talked shit about this...

“That's great but can you give us the rope so poor Jinan can get up here? He's probably freezing to death down there.” Chanwoo came over to join them, happy that Hanbin had picked up on Junhoe's insecurity regarding his problematic climb.

“Jinan's fine,” Junhoe grumbled, “his body's like a furnace!”

“Ooh, tell us more about Jinan's hot body!” Hanbin teased, grinning when Junhoe raised himself up on shaky arms to glare at him.

“Take your stupid rope and fuck off!” Junhoe replied, though there was no fire behind his words. Chanwoo untied the rope and Hanbin handed him some water, telling him to drink. Then they left him alone, and Junhoe made himself sit up and drink. He was fine. He was safely up at the top, and all he had to do now was calm down.

He sat by himself, listening as they prepped to send the rope back down for Jinhwan, excited that nearly everyone was up. Hanbin directed Donghyuk and Chanwoo to go and look for firewood so they could get a fire going, while Yunhyeong stayed with Bobby and Hanbin watched Jinhwan start his climb. Junhoe tried to steady his breathing, because the last thing he wanted to do was sit around and feel useless while everyone else worked. He wasn't going to let this stupid fear of heights keep him from being useful.

He took a slow sip of water, using it to steady his breath, willing his limbs to stop shaking. He hadn't panicked like that in years! He hated that it had happened in front of the group, but it was good to know that everyone seemed to be willing to let it go and not talk about it. He was grateful for that. So he took another sip and got to his knees, trying to stand up. His legs still felt shaky as he got to his feet but everyone was focused on what they were doing, no one paying him attention as he took a few shaky steps towards the woods where Chanwoo and Donghyuk were foraging for wood. He went to join them, determined to be up and about by the time Jinhwan cleared the top.

If anyone was going to baby him for his freak out it would be Jinhwan, and Junhoe was determined to not let that happen.

Jinhwan was currently half way up the stairs, breathing hard and wishing he'd taken Bobby up on his numerous offers to go to the gym over the past year. It wasn't that he was out of shape—he was more of a stamina guy. He could dance all night if he had to, and he and Hanbin often went for runs together. But his arms were weak as hell, and despite all the running, he felt like his legs weren't much stronger. His shoulders were decent from swimming, but the climbing just wasn't something he was used to doing, and he was having a really difficult time with it.

“Do you think you should just lift him?” Hanbin asked with a laugh, “he's struggling so much!”

Bobby grinned at the question. “Do you think so? It wouldn't be much heavier than lifting the bags up.” 

Hanbin grinned back at him. “He's cutting into our camp site prep time!”

“Cut him some slack!” Yunhyeong said, “He's trying hard.”

Bobby and Hanbin grinned at each other at the comment. “Watch what you wish for, Yoyo!” Bobby replied, not feeling nervous at all now that everyone else was up. He could easily haul Jinhwan up himself. So he loosened his hold of the rope, not really thinking about how irresponsible the act was.

Jinhwan was trying to pull himself up to the next step but suddenly the line, that had been securely taut moments ago, went shockingly slack and he lost his balance, falling back away from the wall.

He screamed and flailed his arms, seconds later the rope was tight again and he grabbed for the loop, holding on to it with both hands as he swung slowly, suspended from above. He looked up only to see Hanbin's laughing face looking back at him, and suddenly Jinhwan's breath caught in his throat.

Had they done that on purpose?

Hanbin waved at him, motioning that Bobby was going to pull him the rest of the way up, so he could stop struggling with his climb. That was just as well for Jinhwan, because he wanted to conserve what little strength he had left in order to beat them senseless when he got to the top!

He held to the rope as he felt Bobby pull it up foot by foot, trying to control his breathing. He was going to murder them. They'd all made it safely to the top, only for Jinhwan to kill one of them.

Hanbin watched as Jinhwan was pulled up, looking back at Bobby. “We're in trouble,” Hanbin said, “he is pissed!”

“No wonder! That was really stupid!” Yunhyeong chastised them, feeling bad now that he knew Jinhwan had freaked out. The sensation of slipping was terrifying, having experienced it himself. He couldn't blame Jinhwan for being angry.

Bobby grinned and continued pulling the rope up, feeling slightly guilty, especially at Yunhyeong's words, but still amused. It was too easy to rile Jinhwan up sometimes, and maybe they should have been a bit more careful. It wasn't long before they were pulling Jinhwan over, and Bobby could see the anger clearly written on his face.

“Uh, hey, Jinan! Sorry about the slip up,” Bobby said by way of greeting, cringing when Jinhwan came at him.

“You asshole!” Jinhwan yelled, reaching Bobby and punching him in the arm. “You did that on purpose!”

“I did not!” Bobby lied, grabbing Jinhwan's fist to keep from being hit again. His punch was harder than Bobby had anticipated.

“You did!” Jinhwan yelled back, “I know you did because when I looked up, Hanbin was laughing!”

“I was just happy you were okay!” Hanbin replied, “you know I'm shit at expressing my emotions!”

“Don't make me come over there and hit you too!” Jinhwan replied, struggling to get out of Bobby's grip.

“It was actually Yoyo's fault!” Bobby exclaimed, finally letting go of Jinhwan. “He said cut him some slack!”

“I meant it as a figure of speech!” Yunhyeong retorted, mouth dropping open in shock.

“Now you're blaming Yoyo?” Jinhwan replied, shaking his head. “I can't believe you!”

“You know how we are, very susceptible to suggestion!” Hanbin replied, trying to keep his expression straight.

“Seriously, fuck the two of you, that wasn't funny!” Jinhwan yelled, standing with his arms crossed. He pointed at Hanbin, “you, I'm not surprised by, because you're a little shithead!” He shifted his focus to Bobby, “but you! I can't believe you just did that to me. He's a bad influence on you!”

Hanbin couldn't help himself, grinning at Bobby until he started laughing. Jinhwan whirled around to face him.

“Are you laughing?!” Jinhwan yelled, incredulous at Hanbin's reaction. Okay, so maybe he was being a little dramatic, but he'd been legitimately terrified. “I could have died!”

Hanbin tried to stop laughing, but was having a hard time of it. “I'm sorry!” He chased after Jinhwan, who backed away and tried to fend him off. “Hyuuung!” Hanbin whined, grabbing Jinhwan's arm and pulling him in for a hug.

“Oh, now he wants to call me hyung!” Jinhwan huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Hanbin just kept laughing as he tightened his arms around Jinhwan. “I'm sorry! Honestly, I feel bad. I thought you'd laugh!”

Jinhwan shook his head. “Seriously, I want to shove you over the cliff right now.”

Hanbin grinned and pressed a quick kiss to Jinhwan's cheek. “Love you!”

Jinhwan grumbled deep in his throat, though he could feel his anger dissipating. “You know, it's a sad day when you overtake Junhoe as my most disrespectful dongsaeng!”

That just made Hanbin laugh harder, and Bobby had to turn away because he'd started laughing too. Even Yunhyeong finally caved, gleeful laughter surrounding Jinhwan on all sides. He wanted to be angry but eventually they won him over and he started laughing too. He was still a little angry, but he supposed it was kind of funny, since nothing had happened.

“You guys are assholes,” Jinhwan said once they all stopped laughing.

“Okay true, but we love you, and we're sorry!” Bobby replied, ruffling his fingers through Jinhwan's hair.

“You have a terrible way of showing your affection,” Jinhwan grumbled, but he wound his arms around both of their waists, pulling them close. “You guys better be nice to me for the rest of the trip.” They promised they would be, and Jinhwan was content to drop it. He wouldn't forget it, though. Payback would come.


	12. Howl At The Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a tiring day spent hiking and climbing, the boys take a much deserved break before sunset. Hanbin uses the down time to have a serious talk with Bobby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a rather pivotal moment happens for Double B in this chapter! That's all I'll say, though. ;)

“So, what's the official decree?” Bobby asked, and they all waited for Hanbin's answer.

Hanbin was silent for a moment, studying the front of the cave they'd found, an actual cave that extended down into the earth. “Very likely that this is what we saw last night,” he answered, “I know there are mushrooms with bioluminescent qualities, and these are growing all over the front of the cave.” The sun was still up, though, so they wouldn't know if these mushrooms were the glowing variety or not for another two hours at least.

“Are they safe to touch?” Donghyuk asked. “Or do you think they might be poisonous?”

“I don't know, but we shouldn't touch them, just in case,” Hanbin answered.

“Are we going to investigate now?” Chanwoo asked, eager to find out if this cave was what they were after.

Hanbin didn't answer right away. On one hand, he badly wanted to search for answers, certain there had to be something within the cave. Otherwise why make a map pointing here? Why carve out the stairs? But on the other hand, they'd had a long day already, and it would probably be best if they concentrated on setting up camp and getting a fire going. They all still needed to dry out after being in the gorge all day. Not to mention—he wanted to make sure the glow was there, for his own peace of mind.

“Let's set up camp first, get a fire going,” he answered, “the cave's not going anywhere, and I'm pretty sure whatever we're looking for will be here. The map didn't give us any other instructions, after all. Just to get here.”

Chanwoo sighed, wanting to explore now, but Hanbin was right. They had all night. Maybe they had to wait for night anyway, maybe the mushrooms would show them something.

“Let's start getting things set up then before the sun sets,” Yunhyeong said, the first to leave the cave and head back to where they'd dropped their packs. Everyone followed except for Hanbin and Chanwoo.

“Do you think we'll find something?” Chanwoo asked.

“Why else would there be a map?” Hanbin asked. “I'm trying to think of other reasons. This place is so high up, it's not like this would be a drop off location for smuggling. They'd have to use a pulley to get things up here, because we're so high. It's so out of the way, so hard to get to! If they didn't hide things here, then why make a map?”

Chanwoo thought about it, tried to come up with another reason. But there wasn't any other reason worth talking about. “It doesn't make sense, I agree. There has to be something here.”

“I just hope it's what we're looking for,” Hanbin replied, thinking about his dad again, “I want this weekend to have a happy outcome.”

Chanwoo looked at him, sensed the seriousness of Hanbin's search. “It'll have a happy outcome, hyung.” Chanwoo laid his arm around Hanbin's shoulders. “It's already been a great weekend, there's no way it'll end with us finding nothing.”

Hanbin was glad Chanwoo was here. Even with his own personal reasons for the search, it was nice to have someone else as invested. “I hope you're right, Chanu. I just hope we find more than dusty bones.”

Chanwoo grinned and pulled Hanbin away from the cave entrance. “Come on, let's go supervise! See how long it takes Junhoe and Yunhyeong to get set up this time!”

Hanbin grinned. “I'm sure Junhoe will claim exhaustion and make Yunhyeong do everything himself.”

“Well, you know, he just suffered through a very distressing situation, so I'm sure he needs time to recover!” Chanwoo joked, and they both looked at each other and laughed when they saw Junhoe sitting down and Yunhyeong sorting out the poles, just as expected.

Chanwoo went to join Bobby and Donghyuk, while Hanbin helped Jinhwan.

“I'm surprised you're not charging in right away,” Jinhwan teased.

“Nah, we need to relax for a bit first. That climb was a bit more than I expected we'd have to do, so, no sense in hurrying into another potentially crazy situation.”

“You just want to make sure it's the right place, don't you?” Jinhwan answered, and Hanbin grinned back at him.

“That too. I mean I'm sure it is, because it makes sense, what with the stairs and all. But still, I just feel like it would be good to wait, you know? Besides, it's not like there's gonna be sunlight in the cave anyway, so it doesn't really matter if we wait until it's dark out, because either way it'll be dark in there.”

“Good point! It'll be nice to relax for a bit anyway.” They finished assembling the poles for their tent and pitched it, making quick work of it by themselves. They were just blowing up air mattresses when they heard Yunhyeong yelling at Junhoe, and they laughed as they watched him scolding his tent mate.

Junhoe waved the yelling off, not bothered in the slightest. As expected they were the last to finish, and by the time they were done Hanbin was just coaxing a fire to life. They'd decided to build their fire a bit closer to the cave, sitting around the entrance in excited anticipation of their next adventure.

They sat around the burning logs and ate, discussing the day's events and what they hoped they'd find in the cave. They agreed to wait until it was dark before they'd think about venturing in, wanting to make sure the mushrooms did emit a glow. They also decided to take naps in turn, and currently Junhoe, Jinhwan, and Yunhyeong were all off napping (Yunhyeong sleeping in Bobby's tent to avoid Junhoe's complaining) while Chanwoo and Donghyuk were too excited and remained by the fire, discussing what they'd accomplished today.

Hanbin had pulled Bobby away into the woods, putting some distance in between them and the others. Bobby had followed, wondering what Hanbin wanted to talk about, trying not to get carried away.

Hanbin stopped when they were near the edge of the trees, back by the cliff. “I just wanted to say thank you, again, for earlier. I still feel bad about breaking down like that, it never happens to me. Everything just came out so suddenly, and I'm grateful to you for helping me through it.”

Bobby smiled, pleased that Hanbin wanted to have a personal conversation. “It's okay, honestly, I felt bad knowing you've been struggling so much. I'm happy you got it all out, you need to do that every now and then. It's not good to keep everything bottled up.”

“I know, it's just really difficult for me to actually talk about it. I try to, Minho always prods at me to talk, but, it's just hard. I'm not very good at being vulnerable.” Hanbin grinned at the end, and Bobby laughed.

“No you are definitely not!” He kept his eyes on Hanbin, suddenly thinking back to his own feelings from earlier. He fixed Hanbin was a serious look again, having his own comments he wanted to get off his chest.

“Look, Hanbin, I wanted to apologize. I realized that I judged your relationship without knowing anything about it except for a very biased view. I gave him the short end of the stick and let my own rivalry cloud my judgement. But after hearing everything you've had to say, well, Minho must really care about you, if he went against everyone's opinions. His family, especially. I can see why you'd want to hold on to that.”

Hanbin was floored by the apology and the commentary, shocked at the unexpectedness of it all. Just because Bobby accepted it, didn't mean he'd actually try to understand his feelings. It did something really weird to his brain, made his heart beat faster. “Thanks, hyung. That actually means a lot to me, hearing you say that.”

Bobby smiled and reached out for Hanbin's hand, squeezing it lightly. “Taehyun too, I never understood why you were friends with him, but he's really protective of you. More than I expected.” He met Hanbin's eyes because he wanted him to know that he was serious about what he was saying. If he was going to be Hanbin's friend, then he wanted a clean start and wasn't going to waste his time being competitive with the other people Hanbin was close to. “I know you lost almost everyone, but I think you managed to hold on to the best ones. You still have good people looking out for you.”

Hanbin wanted to thank him for the comments, because he'd honestly had a harder time maintaining friendships with competitive groups than he'd thought he would. He knew both sides judged the other, and the idea that Bobby was essentially saying that he didn't have to pick, that he didn't want to compete with them, it made everything much easier. Not only that, but his willingness to admit that he'd judged in error also struck Hanbin hard, did weird things in his chest, made his pulse skyrocket.

Even though it went against everything he'd said so far, and it went against everything Bobby had just said, Hanbin felt swept up in the current, helpless now that they were here. Without giving it a second thought he closed the gap between them, his lips pressing to Bobby's, both hands rising to cup the sides of his face.

Bobby didn't pull away and Hanbin kept going. He'd spent so long trying to keep away, but it was like the floodgates of his pent up attraction to Bobby had been unleashed, and now he couldn't do anything but ride the tide. And the way Bobby's hands held him in just the right places—tight against the small of his back, lightly wrapped around the back of his neck—Hanbin was weak for it all.

Bobby felt like he'd ascended to Heaven. Kissing Hanbin was everything he'd expected it to be, breathless excitement barely keeping him on his feet. He could feel it from Hanbin too, in the way his arms wrapped around his back, keeping him anchored close to him.

Bobby wasn't stupid, though, and he knew the moment wouldn't last. So when Hanbin pulled away seconds later, a horrified expression on his face, Bobby had to fight himself to let him go.

“I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that,” Hanbin whispered, biting his lip and wrapping his arms around himself.

Bobby kept his tone soft and soothing, didn't reach for him, did his best to stay neutral. “It's okay, Hanbin. It's been an emotional past few hours, don't beat yourself up over this.”

“It's not okay,” Hanbin replied, eyes welling up with tears again, “I'm being selfish, this whole weekend is just me being selfish!”

“You're just trying to sort out what's best for you, that doesn't make you a bad person.” As the words came out Bobby nearly choked on them—he shouldn’t have let Hanbin kiss him for so long. He shouldn’t have let him get carried away, he should have been paying better attention. After he’d just finished telling Hanbin that he had a newfound respect for his relationship with Minho the last thing he should have been doing was letting Hanbin kiss him. Hanbin was the one lost in confused emotions, not Bobby. He didn’t have any excuses.

Hanbin bit his cheek to keep his tears at bay, angry with himself not just because he'd broken his own promise and kissed Bobby, but because he was getting upset and coming out looking like a victim again. Of what? His own selfish stupidity? He'd thought he was better than this. “I'm a terrible person right now, you don't have to lie about it.”

Bobby tried to push his own disappointment in himself aside, because Hanbin was the one who needed consoling right now. Bobby wanted to pull him in for a hug so bad, but that would just confuse matters, and Hanbin wasn’t the sort of person who could be comforted with hugs and whispers anyway. If Hanbin made a mistake, he needed to forgive himself for it first before he would listen to anyone else. But Bobby could still try to lead him towards understanding.

“I'm not lying, Hanbin. Like I said, it's been a really emotionally tolling day for you, and we keep talking about emotional stuff, so it's no surprise your brain just shut off and let your instincts take over. It doesn't make you a bad person, though.”

Hanbin shook his head, not about to give himself any kind of excuse. “But I kissed you, when I promised myself I wouldn't do anything until we got back and I talked to Minho. I couldn't even keep my promise to myself, and I just made things worse for you because I don't know what I want, and I don't want to play with your feelings.”

Bobby frowned, the last thing he wanted Hanbin to worry about was hurting his feelings! Hanbin needed to focus on himself right now. Bobby would be fine no matter what. “I understand that, Hanbin, I'm not upset with you, and I know that when you get back you might decide to stay with Minho. You kissing me now isn't going to make it harder on me. And something tells me he wouldn't be upset with you right now either, would he?” It was a gamble, but he had a hunch that Minho was probably a bit more understanding about things than he’d wanted to assume.

Hanbin didn't answer with words, just shook his head. Sure, Minho would be  _ upset _ that he'd kissed Bobby, but he wouldn't be angry. He'd be hurt and confused, but he'd be understanding and willing to forgive it because no matter what Hanbin ever did, Minho  _ always _ forgave him, and Hanbin didn't want to feel like he deserved forgiveness for it.

Bobby crossed his arms over his chest, fidgeting uncomfortably. He wanted to hug Hanbin so bad right now, not even for romantic reasons! He looked so upset with himself that it brought out Bobby's protective side. “He loves you enough to want you to figure out what you want most, so don't beat yourself up.”

Hanbin pressed his fingers into his eyes, willing them to stop shedding tears. He didn't deserve Bobby's sympathy right now—he didn't deserve anyone's understanding. “That doesn't make me feel any better, okay? I just feel like I'm taking advantage of him by doing this with you, because he doesn't know. He doesn't even know you like guys, he doesn't have any idea that this is happening and I shouldn't be letting it happen.”

Bobby reached out suddenly and took one of Hanbin's hands, pulling him over towards the cliff edge. “Come on, let's go sit down and talk this out.” The sun was setting behind them, so the view over the island in front of them was dark, the sky an indigo blue and the moon visible already.

Hanbin wanted to pull away and sit by himself but he followed Bobby, sitting down next to him and looking out over the island. They sat in silence for a moment, Bobby still holding Hanbin's hand. Bobby was torn, the fleeting glimpse of Hanbin's full affection a powerful addiction, the touch and taste of him, fleeting as it had been, was playing with Bobby's sense of morality. It could be easy, playing on Hanbin's insecurities about his relationship, but Bobby wasn't a predator. Hanbin was hurt and what Bobby really wanted to do was help him figure out how to be at peace with what he'd done.

“Do you want to talk, about Minho?” Bobby offered.

Hanbin was surprised by the offer and he looked at Bobby, meeting his concerned gaze through his own tear-filled eyes. “Are you sure you want to offer that?”

Bobby nodded, squeezing his hand. “Of course. Whatever happens, Hanbin, I want to be your friend through it all. I feel like I've actually been a pretty shitty friend so far this year.”

Hanbin shook his head, straightening in alarm. “No you haven't, you've been a great friend to me.”

Bobby frowned and thought about last night, of snippets of personal information about Hanbin that he wasn’t aware of. “Then why didn't I know your mom was having trouble with her store? Why haven't I ever asked you about your dad, or how your family's doing? I've barely even gotten to know your family, I think I've met your sister once? If I care that much about you, I should care about everything in your life. I want you to feel like you can talk to me about anything, the way you can with Jinan and Taehyun.”

Hanbin hadn't thought about that, hadn't even really noticed that Bobby was barely involved in his life. He'd been too blinded by his own daydreams to implement much of a friendship outside of school into everyday life. “What do you want to know?”

Bobby thought about the question, thought about what he really wanted to know. He'd offered to talk about Minho, so he was going to listen, no matter how difficult it was. “Tell me about last year, when your dad got arrested. I know you said it's been hard on you, but I'd like to know more about what you went through, if you don't mind telling me.”

Hanbin took a deep breath to try and collect himself. He still felt like garbage and thought that he deserved nothing good, but he was grateful that Bobby was willing to make an effort to get to know more about him. “Okay, well, I was at school when it happened last year, mom called me as soon as the police showed up. I was terrified, I didn't tell anyone, I just skipped out of class and went to the park and sat by myself, I couldn't even go home, I didn't know what to say to my mom. Which was a mistake really, because she kept getting phone call after phone call, from everyone—friends, family, work acquaintances. They were all the same. But do you want to guess who the very first person was that called her?”

Hanbin looked at him and Bobby's curiosity was piqued. “Who?”

“Minho's mom.” Hanbin paused for a moment because thinking about it still made him a combination of sad and angry. “Ever since he and I started dating, our families got close, our moms especially. They both had other friends too, but for whatever reason they just got along really well and sort of became best friends. Honestly they probably hung out together more than Minho and I did, his mom loved Hanbyul, said she missed having a little girl around, used to take her on weekends when my parents would travel. They used to joke that he and I would have to get married, because they wouldn't accept us breaking up.” It sounded ridiculous but it was true—their mothers had been slightly over the top in their support.

Bobby couldn't help but laugh, even though it would be exceptionally bizarre to hear that from your own mother. “Wow, that must have been awkward.”

Hanbin laughed too. “You have no idea! I mean on one hand it was nice that they supported us, but on the other...”

“Yeah, I don't envy you that one bit.” Bobby thought it was nice to find out that Hanbin's parents were so supportive of his sexuality. He still hadn't come out to his own, and he didn't want to until he was sure the relationship he'd have with another guy would be a serious one. His first boyfriend hadn't felt long-term, but if things developed between he and Hanbin, he'd come out as soon as possible. He was confident they'd be okay. Maybe a little concerned, but then maybe Hanbin's mom could talk to his mom, help her come to accept it happily. But that was all a big what-if anyway.

“So, she gets a call from the woman who she's become the closest to over the past year, expecting sympathy and support, right? Not a word of it.” Hanbin paused again, his fingers curling tightly against the rock. “All she gave her was some bullshit about how it would probably be best if mom kept to herself and stayed out of their social group, that they couldn't take the chance to be friendly with the wife of a convicted criminal. Period of reflection bullshit, like my mom had anything to do with it!”

Bobby frowned, feeling angry about it himself. “That's so fucked up! She didn't even do anything.”

Hanbin just nodded. “Every other call after was the same thing, people distancing themselves. She knew they were all talking, too, because it hadn't hit the news yet. So how did people even know? It was all Minho's mom, because one of her neighbours worked at dad's company, and he knew. She spread it around like wildfire. So I was certain, after mom told me, that Minho was going to dump me. Positive! I mean who wouldn't, right? I hid from him all day, ignored every single call and text he sent me, because I couldn't stand the thought of losing him. I just lost my dad, in a way, and mom lost everyone else, and I knew everyone would turn on me when they found out.”

Bobby squeezed his hand, nothing to say but wanting to show support. He was grateful Hanbin was even willing to revisit what was obviously an awful time for him.

“He managed to track me down, though, and I was terrified to look at him. But all he did was hug me and promise me that he wasn't going anywhere, that he'd protect me from anyone who tried to start shit with me. He didn't have to, but he did, he made the choice to stick with me when it would have been easy to make a break. I know what you said earlier, about how, when you love someone, you're supposed to be there for them, but that's not the way it works in that society. Look at our mothers—I'm sure his mom loved mine. You don't spend that much time with someone, you don't look after their kid, not unless you really care about them, not unless you love them like they're family. But the second she heard about my dad, his mom dropped mine and didn't even have the grace to sound upset about it. Everyone dumped on my mom all day, all week! The only friend she had left was Jinan's mom.” He stopped again, drawing a shaky breath. Usually thinking about it made him more angry than sad, but after today the anger wasn't sticking and instead everything kept making him feel like crying.

Bobby let go of Hanbin's hand and instead shuffled closer, putting his arm around Hanbin's shoulders and pulling him in closer. He understood the difference better now, understood how much of a statement Minho's choice had really been. It was easy to stand up for the person you loved, but it was hard to stand against everyone else in your life.

“Jinan's mom didn't even hear about it until I told Jinan, but the second his mom heard she dropped everything and went to my mom, stayed with her all week. Shut down her catering business just to look after my mom until she got over the shock, not that she could even afford to do that because money was always tight for them. But she was the only one. No one else cared. So that's the reality I know, that's what my old social circle was like. When someone becomes tainted, you cut them off, and it doesn't matter how much they meant to you. The only people I had left were Minho and Taehyun, and not even their families. So that's why it meant so much that he stuck by me, because it wasn't just our friends that he stood up to, but his own family, and he did it for me. I know it's not perfect between us right now, but you can't just toss aside that kind of loyalty.”

Bobby nodded, feeling terrible again for misjudging Hanbin's relationships. But it was different, essentially. If something bad happened and his father was arrested, he didn't doubt for one second that Jinhwan's mom would be there with them, Yunhyeong's parents, Donghyuk's and Junhoe's. They were all close, and he couldn't imagine any of them turning their backs on each other.

“Thanks for telling me all of that,” Bobby said, “I know it must be hard to talk about it, but I'm happy I know. I understand everything better now.”

Hanbin leaned into Bobby, one hand on his thigh, but it wasn't anything flirtatious. “I didn't really want to talk about it, because it still really hurts, but I'm glad you asked. It's nice, knowing that you know.”

Bobby tightened his arm around Hanbin, glad he'd asked. “So, what happened with you and Minho? You said you guys used to be really happy all the time. What changed?”

Hanbin was surprised at how liberating it felt, now that he was in the middle of talking. It was weird because he didn't want to expose his relationship issues to Bobby, but at the same time it was comforting, talking to him. Jinhwan and Taehyun held their own biased opinions about his boyfriend, because they'd both been there from the beginning. But Bobby was fresh, he didn't know anything. Maybe it would shed new light.

“Honestly, I changed. I know what you saw at the beach last night, it probably seemed like a lot of ganging up on me.”

“It did.” While Bobby was happy to learn more about their dynamics, he wasn't going to completely disregard everything he'd witnessed either.

“Well, it's always been like that. Not just towards me, but everyone. Some nights Minho would be the target, and I'd be every bit as as mean to him as he was to me. But it honestly never used to bother me. I thought it was funny, I'd always laugh no matter who the target was, even me. It was never personal, it's still not personal to any of them. But it's like one day I just woke up and  _ everything _ felt personal. Nothing was funny anymore.” He paused, thinking about it, about how the change hadn't even taken effect slowly, but one day he'd gone from laughter to anger and he couldn't explain it. “I tried to hide it for a long time, still fake laughed about everything, because it was my issue. I was the one that changed, so I had to figure out how to make things work.”

“See, that's where you went wrong,” Bobby interrupted, “you should have brought it up right away. I mean it's pretty easy to see why it all changed for you. Before your dad got arrested it was just a fun hobby of yours--”

“Obsession.” Hanbin interrupted with a grin, smiling when Bobby grinned back.

“Whatever. What I'm trying to say is that, of course you'd take it poorly, being teased about it, because it wasn't just something fun for you anymore. It represented your strongest attachment to your dad, so it was like you were being mocked for trying to hold on to that.”

As soon as he heard Bobby say it, Hanbin was surprised he'd never realized it himself. It was obvious, ridiculously obvious. Maybe the problem was that he'd never been able to admit to himself how important the connection was at the time. Maybe he’d been too ashamed of trying to find reasons to stay close with his dad.

Bobby waited for him to reply, and when he didn't he continued on. “You said you never told him how important it was to you, right? So maybe you were mad at him for not being able to figure it out on his own, but because you couldn't make yourself talk about it, you just took it out on him in other ways.”

Hanbin hated to hear it because he was certain it was all true. Somehow Bobby had picked up on all of it right away, had brought the truth out. He took a deep breath and tried to keep calm about it. “I think you're right. I feel like such an asshole.”

“Don't do that to yourself.” Bobby could see the tears slipping down Hanbin’s face and he badly wanted to reach out and brush them off, but the timing was bad. So instead all he could do was sit and watch, helpless as Hanbin’s feelings continued to get worse.

“But it was so simple, all I had to do was tell him how important it was to me, and I didn't. I could have fixed everything, but now I feel like nothing is fixable.”

“What makes you say that? Don't you think if you talked to him about it, he'd understand and stop teasing you?”

Hanbin sighed, frowning at the moon. Bobby was right, Minho would stop teasing him. He would change the entire way he acted, and he'd do it all for him. But in the end Hanbin would end up feeling the same way he always felt—like Minho was too good, like he was always the solution and Hanbin was every problem. He wasn't sure when he'd started feeling that way, but he couldn't shake it.

“He would.”

“So, why do I feel like you don't actually plan on telling him?” Bobby was feeling confused, getting a weird vibe from Hanbin, like he'd given up already.

Hanbin shrugged, unsure how to go about explaining it to Bobby.

“You need to tell him, Hanbin, it's not fair if you have a way to fix things, but you don't tell him. You can't be upset about something if you're not going to do everything you can to fix it.” Bobby couldn't believe they were having this conversation—that he was pushing Hanbin to fix things with Minho. He hoped this act was raking him up some serious karma.

“I don't know if that'll really fix it, though,” Hanbin answered, “I don't know if it can be fixed.”

“That's not a good attitude,” Bobby said sadly, “if you don't talk to him, it's like you're just sabotaging a relationship that could be really good for you. Why would you want to do that yourself?”

Hanbin shrugged again, confused with his own feelings. He did want to resolve things between he and Minho, he missed how happy they'd been in their first year, missed when they'd never argue. But then they had started arguing, and as much as Jinhwan liked to blame Minho's slightly controlling nature, Hanbin knew that he did his own part in playing into it, purposefully creating problems, like every conversation was a test.

“I don't know, it's like, I feel like I don't fully trust him anymore?” He felt terrible saying it, but at the core it was true. “Which is stupid, because I should trust him more than ever. He's never done anything, it's all in my own head.”

“Well, it might just be some kind of self-defence thing, like you were afraid of being hurt, so you subconsciously kept testing him. I'm not saying that makes it okay, but, it at least makes sense.”

Hanbin nodded in agreement, wiping the tears from his cheeks and out of his eyes. “So, you sure you still wanna date me after hearing all of this?” Hanbin asked with a grin.

Bobby laughed and ruffled his hair, wondering if Hanbin had reached some kind of limit for introspective conversations. “Ah, you can't scare me off! Besides, all this great insight to your mind? You and I wouldn't end up in this position, cause I'd know what to expect. And I also won't tell you that your obsessions are stupid.”

“Bullshit,” Hanbin said with a grin, “you thought this trip was stupid! Don't try to deny it, I remember.”

“I did not!” Bobby replied, grinning back.

“I can't believe you're lying to me!” Hanbin teased.

“Okay, fine! But I changed my mind, didn't I? I gave it a chance, and now I think it's actually to coolest thing I've ever done.”

Hanbin shook his head but he was still smiling. “First you lie to me, now you're grossly exaggerating!”

“I am not!” Bobby countered. “I just free climbed a fifty foot tall cliff! I think that's up there in terms of cool stuff, right?”

“You climbed a staircase!” Hanbin teased, “barely worth mentioning!”

Bobby shook his head and couldn't help but laugh, and seeing Hanbin laugh too felt good. Even though they were discussing something really serious, Bobby could still cheer him up and make him laugh, and that was important. It was nice that Hanbin was willing to share personal details with him. As odd as it was to hear about him and Minho, the fact that Hanbin felt comfortable enough to share made Bobby feel trusted, and if Hanbin was having trust issues, then Bobby would take any sharing as a good sign. Trust was important, whether or not the relationship turned romantic or remained friendly.

Even though Hanbin had managed to derail them off into less serious territory, Bobby knew they needed to see the conversation through to the end. “Okay, back to the discussion, I'll just say this—if you're going to stay with him, be good to him, okay? Don't keep things to yourself that might help. You both deserve to be happy, and if you're getting in your own way, then you need to fix it or cut it off. For both of you.”

Hanbin nodded. “I know, and I’m glad you said that. Whenever I talk to Jinan, I usually end up making everything sound worse than it is, and I look like a victim, so I appreciate you calling me out. A lot of this is my fault, and I don't want to pretend it's not.”

“You know, Hanbin, you can only patch up a sinking ship so many times before you have to bail overboard.”

Hanbin looked at Bobby in surprise, his lips slowly turning up in a grin. “Did you just make a boating analogy for my relationship?”

“Yeah I did!” Bobby replied, feeling quite proud of it. “Did you like it?”

Hanbin smiled and leaned against him, squeezing his hand. “Actually it's a really good point to make, honestly. I wonder if I really can repair what's wrong, or if I just keep patching the hole instead.”

“Maybe we're thinking about this the wrong way. Maybe a better analogy would be that he's a comfortable pair of sneakers you've been wearing for two years, and even though they still fit you well and you're super attached to them, your feet have grown a bit, so they kind of give you blisters now. It's not their fault, and you want to keep wearing them, but you've outgrown them, and there's nothing you can do to make them fit you again.”

Hanbin was silent as he listened to the analogy, impressed with how well it actually described the situation. He turned to look at Bobby. “You think you're a shiny new pair of sneakers I need to try on?”

Bobby grinned back. “Hell no. I'm a beat up pair at a second hand store that just happens to the same pair you're wearing, just a size bigger.”

Hanbin raised an eyebrow at the response. “Are you making a dick analogy now?”

Bobby couldn't help but laugh, and Hanbin laughed too, and they both felt exceptionally comfortable in the moment. Hanbin liked the sneaker analogy a lot, and the more he thought about it, the more he saw the point Bobby was making. On one hand it made him feel sick to his stomach, the thought of losing Minho absolutely terrified him. But on the other hand, maybe it was time to let him go. For both his sake and Minho's.

“Do you think he'd be understanding?” Hanbin asked, vaguer than he meant to be, but he knew Bobby would get it.

Bobby thought about it, because it was hard to give an answer without really knowing Minho. All he could do was assume, and his view on Minho had changed drastically from a day ago. “Honestly, I think he would. Maybe I'm just talking out of my ass because I don't know him, but if I loved someone enough to go against my family for them, I don't think I'd want them to continue being unhappy if something wasn't working anymore, and I think he and I are the same that way. He's very protective of you, and I think it would break his heart to think that he was the one you needed protecting from.”

Hanbin had expected the answer, and it half made him feel better, but half made him feel worse. But he knew his guilt was his own doing, and he needed to get over it in order to do what was right. “If you were Minho, do you think you'd still want to be friends with me, if I broke up with you?”

Bobby took his time answering, because this wasn't an answer to be lightly given. How would he feel, in Minho's shoes? “Honestly, I'd want to know you were happy. That would be the most important thing. Once I was sure you were, I'd probably pull away for a bit, because as relieved as I'd be knowing that you were okay, it would still hurt, knowing that I wasn't the one who could make you happy. I wouldn't be mad, though, not at all. I'd just miss you.”

“That's what I'm afraid of,” Hanbin replied. “I don't want to not have him in my life at all. Hypothetically speaking, if I did break up with him and dated you, would it bother you if I stayed friends with him?”

Another question Bobby took his time answering, because it was important to be honest. “It's hard to answer that. I'd want to be okay with it, because I want to think that I'd trust you, especially after we've talked about him. But at the same time I'd probably be bothered. I don't know if it would necessarily make me jealous, or something else. But I'd try to be okay with it. I'd try to accept you being friends with him.”

Hanbin nodded. “I was surprised at how upset it made me when I saw Jinwoo there last night, like my mind immediately went to being suspicious. I never thought I was the jealous type, but I was mad that he was there.”

“Yeah, well, Jinwoo, he's gorgeous,” Bobby teased, grinning when Hanbin narrowed his eyes at him. “Not as gorgeous as you, though!”

Hanbin grinned and punched his arm. “Bullshit, Jinwoo is easily the prettiest guy I've ever seen. He and Jaewon make a disgustingly gorgeous couple.”

“Yeah, but they're both little bitches, though.” Bobby replied, and Hanbin laughed.

“True, they are rather well matched that way.” Hanbin linked his arm under Bobby's and leaned against him again, quietly thinking about his situation. It was a difficult spot to be in, difficult to figure things out. He tried to think beyond his own guilt, tried to put Minho before himself. That was really one of his bigger problems. Even though he tried, at times, to put Minho's needs before his own, Hanbin realized that he never did. In the end he always made the choices that put his own needs first, and Minho always let it happen that way, never fought for what he wanted instead.    
  
But when it was Minho making the choices he usually ended up putting Hanbin's needs before his own. They were both letting him get away with being selfish. It would be hard to fix that, if he carried on that relationship.   
  
Hanbin went quiet and Bobby waited, curious to know what he was thinking about now. He wondered if he ought to move, if it was okay for him to allow Hanbin to cuddle with him. Then again, Hanbin had cuddled with him all the time before he’d known Bobby was interested, and maybe he’d keep doing it even if he stayed with Minho. Hanbin was rather hands-on, after all.   
  
But still, Bobby felt like he wasn’t helping the situation by letting it happen, but he didn’t know how to make it better either. Maybe he’d just keep asking questions so Hanbin didn’t get too comfortable.   
  
“What’s on your mind? You look deep in contemplation.”   
  
Hanbin frowned at the question, because he didn’t really want to voice his thoughts out loud. But talking to Bobby had helped, so maybe he’d help in this situation too.   
  
“Just coming to the realization that I’m not really as good of a person as I thought I was.”   
  
That wasn’t what Bobby had been expecting. “What do you mean?”   
  
Hanbin pulled away and sat up, leaning over his knees. “I’m really selfish, with everyone I know, but with Minho especially. I don’t know how I turned out like this, always putting myself first. Jinan always teases me and says I’m a spoiled brat, but it’s not a lie.”   
  
Bobby’s first instinct was to tell Hanbin that he wasn’t spoiled and not as selfish as he probably thought he was, but he bit his tongue. If Hanbin was saying it, there was a reason for it. He had to remind himself that the Hanbin he had built up in his mind that he’d fallen in love with wasn’t a complete version. He saw Hanbin with blinders on, after all.   
  
“What makes you say that?” Bobby asked.   
  
“Just remembering things, remembering choices I’ve made. I mean I know this is probably going to sound dumb, but I wanted to take him out for dinner for his birthday last year, my dad even gave me his credit card. I told him to pick the restaurant, but I didn’t want to go to the one he picked, and I whined until he changed his mind.” Hanbin frowned when Bobby started laughing.   
  
“Laugh all you want, but I’m serious! I did that to him all the time. If he wanted something and I didn’t, I’d always complain until he gave in to me. I couldn’t even put him first on his birthday. That’s a shitty way to treat someone you love.”   
  
Bobby fought to stop laughing, and he really hadn’t meant to start! He just couldn’t help it, because the image of Hanbin whining about a restaurant selection was actually pretty cute. But then he realized that maybe that was part of the problem too. If Hanbin did that to him, would Bobby tell him no? Would he fight him on decisions, or just let it slide? It was more serious than just restaurant preferences. It was hard to change your behaviour if everyone around you let you get away with it.   
  
“Okay, you’re right, that’s not really a good way to treat him. But he also let you do it.”   
  
“I know, but I feel bad about it. I shouldn’t have to rely on him to call me out on being selfish.”   
  
“No, you shouldn’t, but at the same time it couldn’t have bothered him that much. And if it did, then that’s still his fault for not saying anything to you, the same way it’s your fault for not telling him that his teasing bothers you. If you both just let each other get away with things like that, then it’ll just end up being a bigger problem.” Bobby would have to keep that in mind if he and Hanbin ever got together. He wouldn’t want to repeat past mistakes.   
  
Hanbin knew Bobby was right, knew that it should work as a two way thing. But he still felt like the bigger part of the blame lay at his feet, and it was a bitter pill to swallow. “Thanks for listening to me complain,” he said, sending Bobby a sheepish smile. “I probably sound like a huge brat, but I guess I probably needed to talk about everything more than I realized.”   


“It’s okay, you’re not a brat, Hanbin. You’d be a brat if you didn’t accept any of the blame, and if you didn’t think it was a problem. It’s a good sign that you recognize that you’ve done things wrong. I mean, you won’t change your habits unless you accept that you have habits that need to change, right?”   
  
Hanbin nodded and just stared at him for a moment, thought about the difference between Bobby and Minho. He wondered if anything would really change if he hooked up with Bobby instead. It’s easier to be honest with someone when you’re just friends than it is to be honest when you’re dating, after all. You don’t worry as much about hurting someone’s feelings when it doesn’t interfere with your ability to kiss them after fighting.   


~

After a brief nap Jinhwan emerged from his tent, stretching and taking a moment to look up at the sky. It had gotten dark, the sun having set while he slept. He made his way over to the fire where Yunhyeong was prepping some food and saw that Junhoe was up, sitting on a log and staring into the flames. Jinhwan went to join him. While the nap had been good the first thing he'd thought about when he'd woken up was Hanbin. For some reason looking at his empty sleeping bag made Jinhwan think about how secretive he'd been over the past year.

He sat down next to Junhoe, trying to clear his head about that stuff. He'd just make a concerted effort from now on pay more attention to him. That's all he could do.

Junhoe had been doing some thinking too since he'd woken up, pleased with being left alone by the fire. Part of what he'd been thinking about was Jinhwan, though, and he was happy the opportunity had shown itself for them to have a chat.

“Hyung, uh, is everything okay?”

Jinhwan looked up at him suddenly, expression one of confusion. “Yeah, why you asking?”

Junhoe half wanted to drop the conversation, because he really wasn't that good at having personal conversations. But on the other hand, Jinhwan had seemed down for the past while, not his usual energetic self. “Well, you just seemed kind of quiet, I mean you haven’t tried to boss me around for hours, and the day is almost over, so I thought you'd be harassing me non-stop.”

Jinhwan couldn't help but smile, because Junhoe was usually the last one to outright ask if you were okay. It's not that he never paid attention or didn't care—he was just terrible at expressing his concern. “Do you want me to boss you around?”

“No! That's not what I meant!” Junhoe frowned and looked back at the fire, again tempted to drop it. But Jinhwan was always so caring about the others, and Junhoe was a little worried.

“Are you sure?” Jinhwan teased, shuffling closer to him. “Now that you mention it, there actually is one last thing you can do for me tonight, then you'll be off the hook.”

Junhoe glanced warily at him, not trusting the offer. “What is it?”

Jinhwan just smiled at him before wrapping his arms around Junhoe and cuddling into his side. “Just give me a hug, and don't say anything.”

Junhoe was surprised at the request and didn't move as Jinhwan embraced him. He wasn't really that great with physical stuff either, at least not when it came jam-packed with emotions. He had no problem hugging others when the hugs were happy or excited, but when they were comforting he tended to clam up and just be awkward.

Jinhwan closed his eyes and rested his head against Junhoe's chest. Even though the person he really wanted to be hugging right now was Hanbin, hugging Junhoe was helping too. When they got back Jinhwan was going to re-double his efforts to support all his friends, to really pay attention and make sure no one else hid things from him. “I just wanted to say that if you ever need anyone to talk to about things, you know I'm here for you, right?”

Junhoe was surprised at the comment, caught off guard. “Huh?”

“You know, if you're ever struggling with anything, and you don't want to talk to anyone, you can come and talk to me.” Jinhwan gave him one last tight squeeze with his arms before sitting up. He kept his arm linked through Junhoe's, though, feeling a little better already.

“Is this about Hanbin?” Junhoe asked, feeling like he'd figured something out. While they hadn't said much after returning from the false cave below, Junhoe had noticed that both Hanbin and Jinhwan had looked upset, visibly different from how they'd appeared before going over. They must have talked about something, and while Junhoe had been curious, he was never the type to ask about things he wasn't directly involved in. But if Jinhwan was going to act all weird and mopey, Junhoe was going to hunt for answers.

“No!” Jinhwan answered, even though it was. “It's about you! I just want to make sure you know that you can talk to me.”

“I do talk to you.” Junhoe answered.

“Not much, though. I just want to make sure you know you can talk about anything, if you need to.”

Junhoe grinned. “This  _ is _ about Hanbin, I know it! What was he hiding from you?”

Jinhwan punched Junhoe's arm, annoyed that he'd been discovered so easily. “Mind your own business, brat!”

“Come on, hyung! What did you expect? You've been all mopey for the past few hours, then you come over and cuddle with me and tell me I can talk to you if I need to. Are you sure you're not the one who needs to talk?” Junhoe replied, and though he usually hated this sort of thing, he would do it for Jinhwan. “Seriously, hyung, if  _ you _ need to talk, I guess I can listen.” That had come out way more awkward than he'd intended, but Jinhwan was usually good at picking up on his real meanings.

Jinhwan grinned at the comment, realizing that he had painted himself into a corner. He looked at Junhoe with a smile, because even though his offer had come out really awkwardly, Jinhwan knew it was genuine. That meant a lot coming from Junhoe. “Thanks, but I'm okay. You did help a lot though, so thanks!” He hugged Junhoe again, who just shook his head in slight confusion.

“If you say so, hyung! I can't believe you let me off so easily, though!” Now that they were doing being emotional, Junhoe was going back to his usual self.

“Yeah, I guess you're lucky I'm feeling all emotional and protective right now. Otherwise I'd be making you rub my feet and cook me food.”

Junhoe wrinkled his nose and pushed Jinhwan away. “Don't even think about it, I'm not touching your feet!”

“Actually I'm still feeling a little sad. Sure you don't want to cheer me up by being a sweet and caring dongsaeng?” Jinhwan teased, leaning back against Junhoe.

“If you want sweet and caring, I'll go wake up Donghyuk!” Junhoe teased back, but he didn't push Jinhwan away this time.

~

“Was that a wolf?” Bobby looked up, head snapping from side to side.

Hanbin looked in the direction the howl had come from, listening to the return howls. “I didn't even know there were wolves on the island,” he answered, “I've never heard them before.”

“Are they close?” Bobby asked, goosebumps rising from the chilling sound. He'd never heard a live wolf howl before, and it suddenly had him thinking about the others. If there were wolves, were they safe?

Hanbin didn't answer right away, listening to the final strains of the last howl. “I don't know how close they are exactly, but they sound pretty close. They don't attack people, though, we're okay.”

“Are you sure? What if they're hungry?” Bobby had no idea how wildlife worked, didn't even know for sure what wolves ate.

“They won't attack a group of people,” Hanbin amended, “no matter how hungry they are. We're fine as long as we stick together. They might not even be that close anyway.”

“What if the cave is their home?” Bobby asked, still worried.

Hanbin grinned at the comment, wondering if he should play along with the idea and freak Bobby out. “Well, if that's the case we should build a ring of fire around the cave entrance so they stay away.”

Bobby believed him for a second, but then noticed the way his lips curved up in a grin. “Hanbin! I'm serious!”

Hanbin laughed and slung an arm around Bobby's shoulder. “Couldn't help myself. Come on, let's get back to the others before they start flipping out.”

“Good idea. Jinan's probably losing his mind.”

Hanbin couldn't help but think about playing up on everyone's fear. “Should we scream first?”

“No!” Bobby yelled, clamping a hand over Hanbin's mouth just in case. “We've put Jinan through enough today, don't even think about it!” He got up and extended his hand out to Hanbin, who took it and pulled himself up. He didn't let it go when they were standing, though, and Bobby watched as Hanbin just stared at their entwined fingers for a moment, a soft smile pulling at his lips.

It made Bobby's heart race wildly, and it was already jumping in his chest over those stupid wolf howls. He wanted to squeeze Hanbin's hand, wanted to hold it so tightly Hanbin wouldn't let go, but Hanbin had already slipped up once and kissed him earlier, and Bobby didn't want him to slip up again. He'd waited a whole year already—he could go another day.

~

“Where are Hanbin and Bobby?” Jinhwan asked when they'd all assembled around the fire at the howling, alert eyes scanning the group and their surroundings. He'd just assumed they were napping in one of the tents, but hadn't actually checked.

“Hope they didn't go for a walk and fall over the cliff,” Junhoe teased, but laughter died on his lips with a withering look from Jinhwan.

“I'm sure they're fine! They left together earlier when you were napping, hyung, I think they just wanted to talk.” Donghyuk answered, reassuring tone.

Jinhwan nodded, wondering what they were talking about. He was still curious about how things were going to go, if there was any chance they were going to hook up. He felt a little guilty for pushing Hanbin so much, but he really did think they'd make a great couple.

“Well hopefully they didn't go too far,” Yunhyeong said, looking around. “How close do you think those wolves are?”

“Ugh, let's not think about that until they get back!” Jinhwan said, frowning. There was no sign of them so far, and he'd figured they would have come back immediately. Or at least Bobby would have. Hanbin...

“I'm sure they'll be here any minute!” Donghyuk replied, looking in the direction they'd gone off in earlier.

“If it were only Bobby, sure,” Jinhwan said, “I wouldn't put it past Hanbin to try and pull some shit to scare us, though.”

“Excuse me?” Hanbin said, as he and Bobby finally emerged from the woods. He tried to sound as offended as possible as they neared the firepit. “I can't believe you'd think I'd do that after today!”

Jinhwan felt relieved at seeing them both appear, though he glared at Hanbin for good measure. “Did Bobby talk you out of doing something?”

“He suggested we scream,” Bobby replied, grinning when Hanbin fixed him with a shocked look. “I told him no!”

“I wasn't serious!” Hanbin answered, grinning as he enveloped Jinhwan in a hug. “I wouldn't do that to you!”

“Boring!” Junhoe called out, “this would have been the perfect opportunity for it!”

“We should sacrifice you to the wolves!” Jinhwan reprimanded, glaring at Junhoe. He didn't move though, quite content to let Hanbin hug him. He wrapped his hands over Hanbin's arms, holding him in place.

“That's not a bad plan,” Hanbin replied, leaning his head on Jinhwan's shoulder. “You still have two hours to boss him around right?”

“No he doesn't! He said he was letting me off the hook earlier after I let him sulk against me.”Junhoe retorted with a grin.

“I was emotionally compromised! I didn't know what I was saying!” Jinhwan teased.

“No way, I know what you said and you were fine! I don't have to do what you tell me anymore!” Junhoe stuck his tongue out before sitting down around the fire again, reaching for a stick and spearing a marshmallow.

Jinhwan just shook his head as he watched him, though he felt inexplicably happy now that they were all back together and seemingly back to normal, his previous concerns lifting from his shoulders. The others moved to sit around the fire, but Hanbin stayed standing behind Jinhwan, almost like he could sense that Jinhwan needed the hug.

“So, what were you and Bobby talking about?” Jinhwan asked him quietly, unable to help himself.

Hanbin smiled against Jinhwan's shoulder, tightening his arms around him. “Oh, just stuff.”

“Hanbin!” Jinhwan whined.

Hanbin grinned. “Okay fine, I just thanked him for earlier. Then, uh, fuck, I don't know if I should tell you this or not,” he hesitated, not sure if he wanted to tell Jinhwan about the kiss. On one hand, he felt a little guilty about worrying Jinhwan so much, and he didn't want to keep things from him. But on the other hand, he didn't want to risk Jinhwan overreacting about it.

Jinhwan tried to stay calm at Hanbin's words. “You can't say that and then not tell me!” It had to be something good, right? Because they didn't look awkward, and Hanbin was evidently in a really good, really happy mood.

“Promise you won't flip out?” Hanbin said, eyes briefly settling on Bobby, who was sitting in between Chanwoo and Donghyuk, roasting a marshmallow while grabbing Donghyuk's stick and wrestling his marshmallow directly into the fire until it caught in flames. Hanbin had to hold back from laughing.

Jinhwan wanted to spin around and look him in the eyes, but if Hanbin was trying to share, Jinhwan would try and be calm about it. “You have my word, no flip out.”

Hanbin kept his gaze on Bobby, warmth spreading through his limbs as he watched him teasing the others. “I kissed him.”

Jinhwan spun around, unable to help himself. He didn't say anything at first, though, just stared at him until he was calm enough to talk. “You kissed Bobby?” He asked in a whisper, not wanting to draw attention from the others.

Hanbin nodded, and he felt glad that he'd told Jinhwan. He still felt guilty about the kiss, but at the same time he couldn't ignore how  _ right _ it had felt at the time. He was still thinking about it, still thinking about Bobby's lips, and the way his tongue had felt. His skin tingled when he thought about the way Bobby had held him, about the easy way they'd fit together.

“And?” Jinhwan prompted, dying to know the details. Had it been good? How had Bobby reacted? What did it all mean??

Hanbin smiled at the question, a slight blush on his cheeks. “I totally shouldn't have done it, but, I'm kind of happy that I did? Because it was really good.”

Jinhwan grinned and wanted to look back at Bobby, wanted to ask him about it too, but he kept his composure. “Thinking you might like to kiss him again?”

Hanbin looked past Jinhwan, his eyes finding Bobby, who was watching him and Jinhwan with a fond smile. Hanbin quickly looked back at Jinhwan, his stomach full of butterflies. “Don't say anything, okay? I still have a lot to think about, but, I just wanted to tell you.”

Jinhwan grinned. “I’m happy you told me, and I promise I won't pester you about it. Well, not much.”

“Jinan! I mean it. We had a really good talk, too, but it's just given me a lot to think about.”

Jinhwan nodded, elated at the admission. “Fine, I promise I won't mention it at all.”

“Thanks.” Hanbin replied, pleased that he'd gotten it off of his chest—not just the admission that he'd done it, but also that the kiss itself had been really nice. Because as much as he wanted to wait until he got back before he made any decisions about his relationship, the fact that he and Bobby seemed to fit so well together was there, constantly pushing itself into his head, vying for attention amidst his other thoughts. He knew he needed to talk about it so he didn't drown beneath the excitement, but he also knew that it would help him keep his wits about him for the rest of their trip.

Before he had the chance to say anything else, though, his eyes caught on a faint green glow and an excitement of an entirely different sort took hold, driving the air from his lungs.

Jinhwan noticed and looked back, gaze falling on the soft green glow of the cave entrance. “Guess those mushrooms are the glowing sort after all, huh?”

“Guess so.” Hanbin answered, winding his arms around Jinhwan again. Even though the map hadn't specifically said that the cave was the end of the search, Hanbin was certain that it was, certain that he would finally get answers. He just hoped they ended up being what he was looking for.


	13. Down The Tunnel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They've come all this way and now it's time to find what they're after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off—I'm sorry this update has taken me so long! I hit a massive block on this story after the last chapter in terms of being able to write it. I think I just needed a long break away from the story in order to be able to focus again. I've also figured out how long it's going to be exactly, and there's not much left, only three chapters. The rest of it is mostly written so you can expect this to be finished very soon! I'm not blocked on it anymore so don't worry. ;)
> 
> Thank you to everyone who's stuck around with it all this time! Hope you guys enjoy what's coming. ♥

“So if we're all gonna go in, do you think we should leave our stuff? Like the tents and all the bigger stuff? We'll probably come back out this way, right? No point in bringing everything with us. Not like we'll need to set up a tent inside a cave.” Bobby made the suggestion mainly because he didn't want to have to take down the tent in the darkness, or carry more weight than was necessary.  
  
“Not a bad idea,” Hanbin agreed, “the less we have to carry, the better.”  
  
“Are you sure we should leave them set up?” Jinhwan asked, “should we at least pack them up?”  
  
“In the dark?” Bobby whined, ready to argue against the idea.  
  
“We should leave them set up,” Hanbin agreed with him, “we'll want to use them when we get back, after all. You wanna set up in the dark again? Cause I sure don't.”  
  
Jinhwan nodded. “Good point, let's leave them up.”  
  
“But what if something happens to our stuff?” Yunhyeong asked.  
  
“Like what?” Bobby replied.  
  
“Like maybe we come back and bears have moved into the tents!” Chanwoo teased, directing a grin at a glaring Yunhyeong.  
  
“Laugh all you want, but I'm serious!” Anything could happen.” Yunhyeong was mainly worried because he'd borrowed a tent from his neighbour, and he really didn't have the money to buy a replacement if anything happened to this one.  
  
“Don't worry, bears don't like tents,” Hanbin cut in, “bears prefer caves--” he paused after making the statement, only just realizing what he'd said once all eyes focused on him.  
  
“Are there bears on the island?” Yunhyeong ask, eyes wide and concerned.  
  
“Fuck this, I'm not going in!” Junhoe exclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
“Oh come on, I'm sure there aren't any bears on the island, are there, Hanbin?” Bobby asked, really hoping that Hanbin wasn't about to spring bad news on them.  
  
“Uh, no, no I don't think so!” Hanbin answered, but no one was convinced.  
  
“Definitely not going in.” Junhoe said again, shaking his head.  
  
“I don't think any of us should be going in, not if there might be bears!” Yunhyeong said, looking to Jinhwan for backup.  
  
Jinhwan was caught between the two of them and knew that he needed to find a compromise. There was no way Hanbin would back down now, but Yunhyeong would pitch a fit if they went in without checking. “Why don't we investigate and look for tracks?”  
  
“There are no bears,” Hanbin replied, “I've never heard about bears on the island, and there aren't any warnings to watch out for them either.”  
  
“You didn't know there were wolves, either, so your words mean nothing.” Junhoe shot back. “It's not like bears would have been camping on the beach with you.”  
  
“We'll go check out the cave,” Bobby answered, “make sure there aren't any signs of animals.”  
  
“Do you even know what to look for?” Yunhyeong asked, still unsure.  
  
“Of course we do,” Hanbin replied quickly, “you guys stay here, Bobby and I will go.”  
  
“I think you should take someone else,” Yunhyeong argued, “no offence, but I don't exactly trust your judgement right now.”  
  
“They're fine,” Jinhwan spoke up, “Bobby won't sacrifice safety if Chanwoo is going in, after all.” He looked pointedly at Bobby, subtly reminding him not to let Hanbin be lazy in his safety search.  
  
Yunhyeong frowned but conceded to Jinhwan's point. The five others crowded around while Hanbin and Bobby prepared to go in, flashlights in hand. Just as they were heading in Junhoe yelled at them.  
  
“It was nice knowing you! Scream extra loud if you get attacked so we know!”  
  
Jinhwan smacked him but Bobby and Hanbin just laughed, promising to be careful and thorough as they investigated. The others sat around the fire to wait.  
  
“I can't believe you said that,” Jinhwan huffed in annoyance, smacking Junhoe's arm again.  
  
Junhoe just grinned and laughed. “Bets on who gets eaten first?”  
  
“Bobby, hands down!” Chanwoo replied, not bothered by the jokes at all. He trusted Hanbin to know what to look for.  
  
“Can you two not?” Yunhyeong chastised, still worried about the possibility of bears.  
  
“I agree, Chanu,” Junhoe replied, ignoring Yunhyeong's protest, “Bobby would definitely go first to try and save Hanbin.”  
  
“He'd be super dramatic about it too. _Save yourself, Hanbin! I couldn't live with myself if anything ever happened to you_!” Chanwoo replied in mockery.  
  
“ _Tell Chanwoo I love him_!” Donghyuk joined in, and the three younger ones all laughed.  
  
“Seriously! Stop being so morbid!” Yunhyeong complained, looking at Jinhwan again.  
  
But Jinhwan thought it was funny too, and added his own thoughts. “Hanbin has a really high sense of self preservation, anyway, so even if Bobby didn't sacrifice himself, Hanbin would probably kick out his knee and leave him.” The others all burst into laughter, even Yunhyeong, though he glared at Jinhwan's betrayal.  
  
“Jinhwan hyung has known Hanbin for a long time, so he'd know!” Chanwoo said.  
  
“You guys are all terrible,” Yunhyeong reprimanded, though he was still grinning despite himself.  
  
“Oh hyung, don't worry! They'll be fine!” Donghyuk replied, leaning over to hug Yunhyeong.  
  
“Hey Junhoe,” Chanwoo called, grinning at his friend, “if you and Lisa went in the cave and there was a bear, would you try to save her?” Everyone immediately laughed, while Junhoe just glared at Chanwoo.  
  
“Why would I even take her into a cave?” Junhoe asked.  
  
“What if she wanted to go?” Donghyuk offered.  
  
“What if she just ran in without you?” Chanwoo added.  
  
“Well, if she was dumb enough to just run into a cave like that, I think I'd be doing her a favour by leaving her.” Junhoe replied, and Jinhwan smacked him for it even though it made him laugh.  
  
“Ah, what a man!” Chanwoo replied.  
  
“A real man would go in and save her!” Yunhyeong said, but Junhoe shook his head in staunch disagreement.  
  
“You mean a stupid man would go in! A smart man would leave her to her own dumb mistakes.”  
  
“Ah, Lisa has enough sense to not go running into caves anyway, so I guess we don't need to be worried.” Donghyuk added.  
  
“Are you sure about that?” Chanwoo asked. “She did agree to date Junhoe, after all, she can't have that much sense!”  
  
“Chanu-ya, be nice!” Jinhwan scolded, but he still grinned.  
  
Junhoe wasn't bothered, though, waving off Chanwoo's comment. “Nah it's okay, he can say whatever he wants. That tends to happen when guys get jealous.”  
  
“Ooh, the jealous card!” Donghyuk crowed, nudging Chanwoo. “Are you gonna let him talk to you like that?”  
  
“He can say whatever he wants,” Chanwoo replied with a grin, staring directly at Junhoe, “I prefer older girls, after all.”  
  
Junhoe finally broke his composure and shot Chanwoo an annoyed look. “If you talk about my sister, I'm gonna punch you!”  
  
“Not if I outrun you!” Chanwoo replied with a laugh, while Junhoe felt around for something to throw at him.  
  
“Ah, you two, settle down!” Jinhwan yelled, “all this yelling might attract the bears in the cave.”  
  
“Hyung!” Junhoe shoved Jinhwan, who fell against Donghyuk with a laugh.  
  
“The bears can come!” Chanwoo said, “because we don't have to outrun them, we just have to outrun Junhoe!”  
  
“If the bears come we'll all stick together,” Yunhyeong said, “they won't eat us, we aren't seasoned and probably don't taste very good.” Everyone groaned wile Yunhyeong looked pleased.  
  
“Ah! Hyung, that was terrible!” Chanwoo winced at the joke, and everyone chided Yunhyeong for it. A few minutes later they were rejoined by Hanbin and Bobby, who happily proclaimed that they had found no traces of any animals living in the cave whatsoever. All seven sat around the fire to go over plans a final time.  
  
“Do you really think it's a good idea for us all to go in?” Yunhyeong asked, “it's not that I don't want to, but no one even knows where we are, so what if something happens? We've done some pretty reckless things already without telling our family. But we don't know what's going to happen, and our phones probably won't work in the cave, so we should really think about this.”  
  
“I'm not about to tell my mom where we really are,” Donghyuk cut in, “she thinks we're just camping on the beach. If she knew half of what we've done I'd probably never be allowed out again.”  
  
“Same!” Chanwoo agreed, “our parents would flip out.”  
  
“Yeah, Chanu would be locked in a cage and I'd go home to a beating,” Bobby added in with a laugh.  
  
“I can text my sister,” Jinhwan offered, “she won't say anything. But do we even know how to describe where we are?”  
  
“We should be able to figure out our coordinates, right hyung?” Donghyuk asked Hanbin, who nodded.  
  
“Yeah, give me and Donghyuk a few minutes and we'll figure it out. The rest of you go through your stuff and only take what's necessary, leave all the heavy stuff behind.” Hanbin instructed before unfolding the map and studying it with Donghyuk.  
  
Ten minutes later Jinhwan was composing a text to Seiyeong despite the late hour, though he assured them she was probably still up and out at a club with friends. That much was immediately confirmed when she responded to his text right away, grilling him on what he was doing. He answered her questions and she promised not to say anything unless she didn't hear from him, and he promised to text her when they got back out of the cave.  
  
“Alright, everyone ready?” Hanbin asked, standing at the mouth of the cave now that they were ready, flashlight in hand.  
  
“Let's go!” Chanwoo replied, eager to explore and hoping they would find something. He walked beside Hanbin, playing his flashlight over the inside of the cave's walls. It got progressively cooler the further in they went, the warm summer air of outside left behind.  
  
Junhoe walked at the back of the group with Bobby, not enthused about their venture inside in the slightest. He'd wanted to stay behind, had been ready to beg, but eventually everyone's excitement had gotten to him. It's not that he didn't want to have fun with them—he was just afraid. He had a mild case of claustrophobia, which he was sure Jinhwan knew about, but further to that was a fear of the dark, which none of them knew about. He'd probably be okay if they all kept their flashlights on, but he wasn't about to admit that to any of them.  
  
As they walked the conversation was joyful, which helped him keep his mind off of their surroundings. If he laughed at Chanwoo and Bobby's bickering louder than usual, no one said anything, but after a while he was starting to feel his nerves reacting on their own, and he had to stifle the urge to look behind him, certain that something was creeping up on him in the dark.  
  
Instead he made himself focus on his surroundings, playing his flashlight up the full height of the wall. It seemed that the ceiling had risen quite a bit, and he told himself that was a good thing, because the more space he had the better. It didn't feel so cramped.  
  
But then his mind started acting up, and he started wondering if there was something up there, slinking along the rock, waiting to drop down on him unawares. He gripped his flashlight a little tighter and refused to look up, partly because he didn't want to give in to his fears, but also partly because he didn't want to see if something actually _was_ there.  
  
But then, of course, as though it had simply been waiting for his brain to make that leap, there was a sudden whoosh of air next to his face and he jumped, backing against the wall and looking around.  
  
“What was that?” He asked, flashlight playing around.  
  
“What?” Bobby asked, stopping and shining his light at Junhoe.  
  
“You didn't feel that?” Junhoe asked, and Bobby shook his head. “It felt like something flew past my head!”  
  
Bobby shined his light over the walls and back up over the ceiling the way they'd come. “Are you sure?”  
  
“Yes I'm sure!” Junhoe replied in irritation. “I felt a breeze and I heard it!”  
  
“Hanbin!” Bobby called out, and Hanbin stopped to turn back. “I think there might be bats in here!”  
  
“Bats?” Hanbin called back, and he thought it was probably likely that there was.  
  
“Yeah, Junhoe said he felt something fly by his head. Do you think it might be a bat?” Bobby asked.  
  
“Good possibility,” Hanbin replied, “bats do roost in caves, after all.”  
  
“And they go out to hunt at night,” Chanwoo added, shining his own light around in search, “weird though that none of us felt it.”  
  
“Are you kidding me?” Junhoe whined. “Fucking bats?!”  
  
“Calm down, they won't bother you.” Hanbin replied, but Junhoe shook his head.  
  
“You don't know that! This one flew right beside my ear!” Junhoe brought his hand up to the side of his face, fingers rubbing over his ear as though he was hurt.  
  
“Quit whining,” Jinhwan chided playfully, “bats won't hurt you.” He said it half to remind himself of that fact, because the idea of bats flying around them made his skin crawl.  
  
“Seriously, bats are really good at navigating in the dark, they won't touch you,” Donghyuk replied, “you don't have anything to worry about.”  
  
“But what if there's a swarm?” Junhoe asked, and when Donghyuk corrected him to say the proper term was _a colony_ Junhoe just shot him an irritated glare.  
  
“If that many of them come out, we'll just have to duck until they pass!” Bobby replied, patting Junhoe on then shoulder.  
  
“I hate this,” Junhoe complained, crossing his arms over his chest, “I don't want to keep going.”  
  
“You're not going back, June-ya,” Jinhwan said, “bats won't attack us, you'll be fine.”   
  
“Come on, let's keep moving!” Hanbin yelled out before turning around and continuing down the path.  
  
The others following, but Junhoe didn't move from where he stood, his flashlight sweeping back the way they'd come. Bobby stayed with him, watching in concern. “Come on, Junhoe, we gotta go.”  
  
Junhoe huffed and refused to move, fighting down the urge to flee in panic. He was feeling stifled, by the surrounding rock and the darkness, and now he had bats to add to the mix! “I'm good, go on, I'll catch up in a minute.”  
  
“No way,” Bobby shook his head, “if you need a minute, that's okay. I'll wait with you.”  
  
“Hyung, I'm _fine_ ,” Junhoe ground out through clenched teeth, wishing he could be alone. Well, maybe not _alone_ , he just didn't want anyone talking to him.  
  
“No you're not,” Bobby replied, voice full of concern, “you're really freaked out about the bats, aren't you? Donghyu's right though, they do that echo thing, you know, they can't really see well, so they see with sound?” Bobby remembered it from some nature program had watched this past semester.  
  
“Echolocation,” Junhoe replied, “we studied it in school this year.”  
  
“See, then you know how it works!” Bobby said happily. “Hold on, what class was that in? I don't remember ever studying it.”  
  
“Maybe you slept during that class?” Junhoe shot back sarcastically.  
  
“Possibility,” Bobby admitted with a grin, “science was never my favourite class.” Bobby felt like bats weren't the only thing bothering Junhoe. While they had a good relationship, and Bobby definitely thought of him like a brother, they weren't exactly close, at least not the same way he was close with Donghyuk. Junhoe had always been much colder, much harder to open up. Jinhwan was really the only one who Junhoe really opened up to, and Bobby wished that he'd been the one who'd stayed back, but he'd do whatever he had to in order to make Junhoe feel a bit better. “Listen, we really need to get back.”  
  
“Yeah I know.” Junhoe replied, and he dug his fingers into his forearm in frustration. He really didn't want to keep going. He'd been toeing the line of being _okay_ before the bat, but now his brain was shutting down, and there was no way he could keep going without melting down. But he couldn't explain it to them, especially not Bobby.  
  
“June-ya, what else is bugging you about this? I know it's not just the bats.” Bobby asked, getting right to the point.  
  
“ _Nothing!_ ” Junhoe answered defensively, which was an obvious lie that anyone could see through.  
  
“Come on, I know something's bugging you. Are you not good with enclosed spaces?” Bobby guessed, because he remembered how Junhoe had refused the cave from the day prior as well. But that one had been much smaller. This one was large and open.  
  
“Yeah, something like that.” Junhoe answered quickly, because he had a feeling that Bobby wouldn't drop it until he answered. “But it's fine, I'm fine. Let's just go.” He pushed himself off the wall and moved past Bobby, though his throat felt a little bit tighter and his breath was a bit shorter.  
  
Bobby caught up with him and fell into step next to him. “It's okay to be freaked out about this stuff,” he said in what he hoped would be helpful.  
  
It wasn't.  
  
“I'm not _freaked out_ ,” Junhoe snarled back, even though he most definitely was.  
  
Bobby was taken aback at how defensive he was, and he again wished that Jinhwan was here for him to pass Junhoe off on. But the others were still further ahead, so this was on Bobby. “Sorry, I'll just shut up.”  
  
“Do that.” Junhoe replied angrily, and he felt terrible as soon as the words left his mouth. He knew he sounded exceptionally rude, but it was so much easier than admitting how terrified he was.  
  
Bobby bristled at the tone and he couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. Scared or not, he didn't like Junhoe talking to him so dismissively. “I can't believe I'm letting you talk to me like this right now,” Bobby said, shaking his head and glancing at Junhoe, “I don't even let Chanu talk to me like this!”  
  
“ _I'm sorry_ ,” Junhoe ground out through clenched teeth, because he _was_ sorry, but it was difficult to admit even that right now.  
  
“You're gonna have to make it up to me later,” Bobby carried on, “maybe I'll make you rub my feet like Jinan did earlier.”  
  
“That is _not_ happening,” Junhoe replied, “and if you try and make me I'll just give you the worst foot rub you've ever had.”  
  
Bobby laughed at his honesty. “Ah right, if you never want to be asked to do something again, do it once and do it terribly, right?”  
  
“Exactly.” Junhoe agreed, and he couldn't help but grin at Bobby's laughter. Okay, so maybe he'd be a little better off talking, because he actually felt a tiny bit better. As long as Bobby stopped acting so concerned and worried, he'd be fine. The rounded a bend and finally saw lights up ahead as they reached the others.  
  
“About time,” Bobby sighed in relief, “I was wondering if they'd run off or something.” Junhoe felt relieved to see the others again as well, and it beat back his anxiety a bit.  
  
“Where were you guys?” Jinhwan asked as they approached, walking back through the others to greet them.  
  
Junhoe blanked, not wanting to admit any of the conversation he'd had with Bobby, and hoping that Bobby wasn't going to call him out on his behaviour.  
  
He didn't.  
  
“Ah Junhoe's flashlight went out, so we had to replace the batteries,” Bobby said quickly, crafting a believable lie on the spot.  
  
“What took so long?” Hanbin asked. “We were about to send someone back to look for you.”  
  
Junhoe's mind sped by on auto-pilot. “Bobby dropped the batteries and we had to look for them,” he answered, hoping Bobby wouldn't be mad at him for putting the blame on him.  
  
“I can't believe you're calling me out!” Bobby whined, though he said it was a grin. “I was just trying to help you out.”  
  
Junhoe grinned back. “Ah hyung, your method was lacking, but I guess you did help out, in the end.” He hoped Bobby understood what he was really trying to say, and judging from Bobby's happy smile, it looked like he did.  
  
“Fine, just let us know next time, okay?” Jinhwan said, and they both nodded. Bobby left Junhoe with Jinhwan and joined Hanbin and Chanwoo at the front of the line.  
  
“So, find anything yet?” Bobby asked.  
  
“Nothing yet.” Hanbin answered.  
  
“Not even a sign?” Bobby asked, pouting.  
  
Hanbin grinned back at him and shook his head. “This thing hasn't ended yet, there's plenty of time!” They started walking again and Hanbin thought about his experiences back at school in America. He'd probably be chided by his old earth sciences teacher for venturing into an uncharted cave system, but he'd take the scolding. This was an opportunity he wasn't willing to pass on because there was a potential for danger.  
  
But the longer they walked, the more he wondered just how long this particular tunnel was, and if it connected with others? What would he do if it did? One thing he'd noticed though was that the tunnel had opened up a lot, the height and width increased, and he was pretty sure they were walking at a slight incline. He wondered if they'd come across some open chamber at some point?  
  
Just then he heard a loud humming from ahead and shone his flashlight up the path. His mouth dropped open in shock when he saw a fast approaching mass of black and he dropped to his knees.  
  
“Everyone get down!” He yelled at the others, who quickly followed his advice.  
  
“FUCK!” Junhoe yelled, dropping to the ground and flinging his arms over his head. “I FUCKING KNEW IT!”  
  
“Stay calm!” Hanbin yelled out, “it's just the bats, they won't attack us!”  
  
“This is bullshit!” Junhoe yelled again, though there was a noticeable tremble to his voice.  
  
“You mean it's batshit!” Chanwoo yelled back teasingly. Maybe it was a little scary, but he still flipped his flashlight beam up to watch the colony fly overhead, amazed at seeing so many in person. The noise was loud in the enclosed space, the sound bouncing off the walls back at them.  
  
Jinhwan crouched down next to Junhoe, who was huddled into himself, and wrapped an arm over his back. There was too much noise for him to bother saying anything, so instead he just offered physical comfort and waited the bats out. Junhoe was shaking underneath him, terrified, and Jinhwan wondered then if he should have let Junhoe wait outside for them? He'd come willingly, sure, but Jinhwan knew he had a problem with this sort of thing. He felt a bit of regret, thinking that he should have watched out for him better, that when Junhoe had complained the first time, Jinhwan should have offered to go back out with him. But his own selfish interest in their search had taken over instead, and now Junhoe was suffering for it.  
  
The bats all passed and once they were gone Hanbin stood up again, shining his flashlight around. “Alright, they're all gone, so let's get moving again.” He looked over at Jinhwan, who was still huddled with Junhoe, and Jinhwan motioned for them to go on without them, and while part of Hanbin wanted to wait, because he didn't like the idea of them being split up again, he had a feeling that Junhoe probably needed a moment without them all breathing down his neck. So Hanbin led the way, and soon enough it was only Jinhwan left with Junhoe.  
  
“You okay?” Jinhwan asked, arm still over Junhoe's trembling shoulders.  
  
“I'm fine,” Junhoe said tersely, “I just hate bats.” He drew a long, shaky breath and sat back against the wall.  
  
Jinhwan gave him a moment before getting to his feet and reaching down with his hands. “Come on, June-ya, we need to get back to the others.”  
  
Junhoe took his hands and let Jinhwan help him up, though at one point he almost ended up pulling Jinhwan down on top of him, which made them both laugh as they stumbled. Finally he made it to his feet and Junhoe steeled his nerves to go on. While he really didn't want to keep going, he wasn't quick to head back the way the bats had all flown.  
  
“Hey, I just wanted to say that you're doing good with all this,” Jinhwan said, “I know you're not a fan of being in tight spaces, but you're doing okay. We'll be out of here soon enough.”  
  
Junhoe wanted to grumble back at him that he was fine, but he knew that Jinhwan would just call him on his lie. “Thanks, hyung.”  
  
Jinhwan smiled at his response and slung his arm around Junhoe's back. “Tell you what, you get through this and maybe when we get out I'll give you a foot rub.”  
  
“Seriously? Because my feet are actually pretty sore from all the walking.” Junhoe grinned down at Jinhwan, who winked back at him.  
  
“Don't tell anyone I offered or it's off the table!” Jinhwan teased, and Junhoe laughed, and they made it back to the others quickly and with Junhoe in better spirits. Jinhwan was right, after all. They weren't realistically going to be in here for that long, and it's not like they'd encountered anything truly dangerous. He would be okay.  
  
Up at the front of the line Hanbin felt his heart leap into his throat for a moment as he played his flashlight around, the light swallowed in the darkness. Unlike the path so far, though, up ahead the light wasn't hitting a wall anymore, and he was pretty sure that meant that they were finally coming to an open cavern inside the rocks. It didn't mean anything, of course, and he tried to not get too excited.  
  
But when he shined his light on the ground up ahead, it wasn't on rock anymore, but something else. He stopped in his tracks and stared. It looked like wooden planks, and he felt his excitement kick start into high gear again. Were they finally about to find what they'd come all this way for?  
  
“Is that wood?” Chanwoo asked, stopping next to Hanbin, his own flashlight playing over the same thing.  
  
“Yeah, and it's an open space, too.” Hanbin added, demonstrating how his flashlight simply went on into the darkness instead of hitting a wall.  
  
“We're actually going to find something,” Chanwoo said, tone of disbelief, “I mean the wood! That means someone has been in here!”  
  
“Yeah it does,” Hanbin agreed, and then he and Chanwoo resumed walking again, their pace fast. They walked out onto the wooden planks, which formed the top of a big platform that creaked beneath their weight, and he felt the bottom drop out of his stomach as he looked around.  
  
They were the middle of an open chamber, for sure, and it extended about thirty feet across, and on the other side there was no opening to continue on their path, making this the end of the tunnel. There was nothing on the platform and he walked over to the edge, carefully peering down. All he saw was a twenty foot drop into a pool of water below.  
  
What he didn't see, though, was any sign of treasure.  
  
There was nothing at all.

 


	14. The Lost Treasure of Kony's Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After coming all this way only to find nothing waiting for them at the end of the tunnel, are they really going to have to walk away empty-handed? Or does the island have a final secret left for them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh this is it!! The end of the main story line! I have two chapters left, though they're epilogues to deal with the aftermath of what happens. They'll be up soon, I promise. :)
> 
> Thank you to everyone who's stuck around this far! I promised things would have a happy ending, so I hope you guys are all content with how things are going to go. ♥♥♥

“You mean to tell me that we came all this way _for nothing_?” Junhoe didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or shove Hanbin to his watery death.  
  
“We don't know that,” Hanbin said, “there might be something down there--”  
  
“Down there? Are you kidding me?” Jinhwan asked, not about to let Hanbin even contemplate jumping.  
  
“Way too dangerous, don't even think about it!” Yunhyeong agreed, closing the gap between himself and Hanbin.  
  
Hanbin stood at the edge of the platform, shining his flashlight down into the water below. Okay, so it was a little crazy, but he couldn't ignore the niggling feeling in his gut that there was _something_ down there, waiting to be found. It was a long drop, sure, but it would make sense. It would be a good hiding place. He played his light over the walls, pulling his arm away from Yunhyeong's prying fingers.  
  
“Hyung, _quit it_! I'm not jumping in.” Hanbin only half meant it, because he _was_ contemplating the jump. It seemed like such a waste, coming all this way and not checking.  
  
“Sorry if I don't believe you,” Yunhyeong replied, remaining next to him and grabbing his arm in a tight fist. “We're going back right now.”  
  
Hanbin clenched his fingers tightly around his flashlight, biting back an angry comment. He wasn't going to convince anyone of anything if he just yelled at them. “Just think about it for a minute—why would this platform be here if they didn't use this spot for something? Why go to the trouble of building it? Hauling all that wood down here from outside, constructing a big standing platform. It's a sign that something should be here.”  
  
“But nothing is here! Whatever they had here they must have taken, _centuries_ ago.” Yunhyeong replied, not interested in the possibility. He was tired, it was very late, and the walk had been long and frankly more than a little creepy, especially with the bats. He wanted to get back to the warm air outside, back to their fire and their tents and their food.  
  
“Just give me a minute to look around,” Hanbin said, prying Yunhyeong's fingers off of his arm.  
  
“For what?” Yunhyeong replied, short-tempered irritation coming out in full force now. “There's nothing here, Hanbin! Give it up and think about the rest of us for once!”  
  
Bobby approached the pair and laid a hand on Yunhyeong's arm, quickly trying to diffuse the situation. Yunhyeong didn't snap often, at least not in situations like this. “Hey, calm down,” he spoke softly, “there's no need to get grumpy, Yoyo. But Hanbin has a point, and we can't just leave after coming all this way without really checking around. I know you're tired, we all are, but just give us a bit, okay?”  
  
Yunhyeong wanted to protest, but one look from Bobby had him retreating to where Jinhwan was sitting with Junhoe, who'd slumped down to the floor. He knew he'd overreacted a bit with Hanbin and he felt bad about it. He glanced at Jinhwan, who gave him a look that was both sympathetic yet scolding at the same time. He had a feeling that if Junhoe wasn't having such a difficult time, Jinhwan would have had words for him. Deserved, probably, but he'd apologize to Hanbin later.  
  
Chanwoo and Donghyuk stood in the middle of the platform, staring up at the ceiling of the large cavern. It extended up about fifteen feet and right in the centre of it was a hole through which they could see the sky. The stars were twinkling in the clear night and Chanwoo felt disappointed and confused by their sudden dead end. Everything pointed here to this place, everything pointed to there _being something_ here. Instead all they'd found was a long drop into a pool of water. It just didn't make any sense.  
  
Hanbin was looking up too, but it wasn't at the stars. There was something hooked into the wall a bit further up, some kind of metal object, and he wished it was closer so he could get a better look at it. Bobby stood next to him and Hanbin wondered when he was going to say something. Even though Bobby had told Yunhyeong that they ought to look around before leaving, Hanbin didn't really believe that Bobby thought they'd actually find something, and he worried that Bobby was just going to try and talk him into leaving.  
  
Bobby wasn't sure what they ought to do. On one hand, he agreed with Hanbin that there had to be something here, because why else would someone have built this platform? But then he also agreed with Yunhyeong, that whatever had been here was more than likely gone by now, taken by the pirates or simply swallowed up by time itself. He wasn't about to bully Hanbin into leaving before he'd abated his curiosity, though.  
  
“What are you looking at?” Bobby asked him, adding his own light to the spot Hanbin was concentrated on.  
  
“I don't know,” Hanbin answered, glad that Bobby hadn't opened their conversation with an attempt to convince him to leave. “I can't figure out what that thing is.”  
  
Bobby stared too, and the item looked familiar, some kind of tool he'd seen before, but he couldn't think of what it was called or what it was for. Donghyuk was the one who had the answer.  
  
“Isn't that a pulley? Looks really old and it's missing it's ropes, but it kind of looks like one, doesn't it?”  
  
Bobby thumped him on the shoulder. “Good eyes, Dong-ie! I thought it looked familiar. I wonder why it's there?”  
  
Hanbin immediately looked around for more, because it was certainly a sign that this place had been used for hiding. Who would install a pulley if not to raise and lower objects into the water? They'd built a platform after all, so there had to be a hiding spot down in the water. He didn't want to say it out loud, though, didn't want to risk an argument with Yunhyeong or Jinhwan.  
  
“Hey guys, look! The moon's visible up there!” Donghyuk pointed up at the hole again, smiling wide at the view. It was pretty breathtaking, like something out of a National Geographic magazine photoshoot. He wished he had his camera with him.  
  
Chanwoo and Bobby looked up too, captivated by the beauty of the moment. It was a rare sight of something you were used to seeing every day, a new way to appreciate it.  
  
Hanbin, however, was looking down, his eyes growing wider with every second. With the appearance of the moon there was also another appearance—the water was glowing with phosphorescence, similar to the mouth of the cave, but this was blue instead of green and it took his breath away. The longer he stared the more certain he was that there, beyond the shimmering blue, he could see something glinting...  
  
“Bin-ah, look at this!” Bobby called out, reaching a hand out next to him, but it was met with empty air and Bobby tore his eyes away from the moon to see Hanbin kneeling at the edge of the platform staring down into the water. Bobby looked down too, and when he saw the blue glow he gasped in shock. “What's that?”  
  
Chanwoo and Donghyuk heard Bobby and both looked down, eyes taking in the amazing sight. “Hanbin! Do you think that's a sign of something?” Chanwoo asked, voice alight with excitement, and they were all too focused on the glow to think about much else, not until Jinhwan yelled.  
  
“Hanbin!”  
  
Bobby looked up too late, watching as Hanbin slipped off the platform and dove into the water below. None of them said a word, shocked into silence. Jinhwan got to his feet and ran over to Bobby.  
  
“Hanbin!” He yelled again, hastily turning on his flashlight and playing over the water to look for signs of where he'd gone. “Where the fuck is he?!”  
  
Bobby stared too, concern mounting as it took longer for Hanbin to pop back up. Had he gotten caught on something? Had he gotten hurt? Was the pool shallower than expected, and he'd hit his head on something? A hundred potential problems flashed through Bobby's brain and if Jinhwan hadn't been there to grab his arm Bobby might have jumped down himself.  
  
“Don't even think about it!” Jinhwan yelled at him, holding tight.  
  
“What if he's hurt, or stuck?” Bobby said in a panic, desperate to jump down and find Hanbin.  
  
“How are you going to get back up?” Jinhwan yelled, voice shaking.  
  
“Your rope!” Bobby answered.  
  
“You need to stay here!” Jinhwan replied, “if we need to pull anyone up we need you, you're stronger than all of us!”  
  
“But he might be hurt, Jinan!” Bobby said, panic welling up in his chest at the thought of Hanbin in danger. What would he do if something happened to him? He couldn't take the chance. Bobby prayed that he was okay, prayed that whatever was keeping Hanbin from surfacing wasn't anything bad.  
  
“If he doesn't come back up, I'll go down,” Jinhwan replied, but there was a clear tremble of fear in his voice that Bobby heard right away, and he slid his arm around Jinhwan's shoulders as they waited.  
  
Suddenly there was a splash from below and they both fell to their knees in relief when they saw Hanbin surface, smiling and waving back at them. “I'm okay!” Hanbin yelled, and Jinhwan's gaze and tone of voice instantly went from concerned to murderous.  
  
“You won't be for long!” Jinhwan yelled at him, angry because he'd run his own thoughts through the gamut of disasters and had been convinced that Hanbin had been hurt, possibly even dead. “I am going to _murder you_ when we get you up here!”  
  
Hanbin didn't reply, though, and it was Chanwoo who noticed that he was holding something in his hands and studying it with his flashlight. “Hyung, did you find something?”  
  
Hanbin waved it at them and his face was wide in a grin. “It's a coin!” Hanbin yelled, “there's more of them!”  
  
Chanwoo couldn't believe it—had they really found something? “How old is it? Where is it from?”  
  
“17th century!” Hanbin yelled back, “I can't read the language though, but it has a lion on it! I think it might be Dutch?”  
  
Chanwoo felt like crying—they'd found something. They'd actually _found something_.  
  
“Are you serious?” Bobby yelled down at him, mouth agape in shock.  
  
“Yeah! There's a ton of stuff at the bottom, I'm gonna go back down and grab some more things!”  
  
“Don't you dare!” Jinhwan yelled again. “Leave it, Hanbin! You found enough to prove something is here!”  
  
Hanbin just waved off Jinhwan's concerned yelling and dove back under the water. The excitement was enough to draw even Yunhyeong and Junhoe to the edge of the platform to watch, waiting for Hanbin to resurface. It didn't take long, and this time he was pulling something bigger than a coin up and out of the water.  
  
“Gold candle holder!” He yelled at them, “and I don't know what kind of gems these are but there's a ton of them!”  
  
Chanwoo and Donghyuk yelled and hugged each other in excitement, while the others were all shocked into silence.  
  
“I can't believe he actually found something,” Jinhwan said, Hanbin's excitement slowly making his worry disappear, “there's actually treasure I can't fucking believe it.”  
  
“Okay but can he just bring it up here so we can get out?” Junhoe said, and he wished he could be more excited but his heart was still racing. He felt a little better what with the sky visible, but the sooner they were out of the cave the better.  
  
“Yeah, let me find the rope.” Jinhwan sat down to rummage through the backpack he'd brought with him while the others waited. Hanbin dove under again despite protests to feel around for other things, his curiosity not abated in the slightest.  
  
“I found it,” Jinhwan called out, pulling the long length of rope out, “It should be long enough to reach him.” He started untangling it, standing by Bobby, who held on to his end before Jinhwan dropped it down. It was more than long enough, so Jinhwan started to secure their end to Bobby's waist, before yelling down to Hanbin.  
  
“Okay time to quit messing around, we have to get you back up here!” Jinhwan yelled, excited at the discovery, but still very worried about how they were going to get Hanbin back up. The wood from the platform was creaking an awful lot, and if the coins Hanbin had found really were four hundred years old, then that meant that the wood they were standing on was probably equally as old.  
  
Hanbin had retrieved a few more coins, along with some of the gem stones, leaving the heavier candelabra behind. It's not like it was going anywhere. He tucked his prizes away in the outer pocket of his backpack, ensuring they'd make it out with him. He started tying the rope around himself, having just enough length to knot it under his arms in the least uncomfortable position he knew. “Okay, I'm ready!”  
  
Bobby acted as the anchor and along with Yunhyeong and Chanwoo's help, slowly began pulling up from below. It was tough work what with the angle, and a few times Bobby had to re-brace himself after feeling like he was about to topple forward. Jinhwan watched their progress from the side, nervous and on edge, his eyes staying on Hanbin. He couldn't let excitement over Hanbin's find truly take over until his best friend was safe again.  
  
After one particularly strong pull backwards Bobby lost his footing and tripped over the accumulated rope, landing hard on the platform. In doing so he lost his grip on the rope, causing Chanwoo and Yunhyeong to pull back while Hanbin slid down a bit. But the most concerning thing was, at that moment, the loud crack that came from the splintering of the wood.  
  
The entire platform shifted forward and Jinhwan, who'd been perched precariously at the edge, lost his footing and let out a scream as he fell off the side and down into the water below.  
  
“Jinan!” Yunhyeong flattened to his stomach at the edge and peered over, letting go of the rope now that Bobby had his grip back again. “Hanbin!”  
  
“He's okay!” Hanbin yelled back from below, and the sound of splashing further confirmed that Jinhwan had managed to land without injury. Hanbin was still dangling from the rope, though he was nearly back down at the water again. He watched as Jinhwan surfaced and looked up at him.  
  
“I'm fine!” Jinhwan yelled, though he didn't feel fine because the entire platform was no longer connected to the wall but had broken free and shifted forward into the middle of the cavern. It looked like it was about to topple into the opposite wall and Jinhwan wasn't sure what to tell them.  
  
“What do we do?” Yunhyeong yelled, looking back at Bobby in a panic.  
  
“I don't know!” Bobby yelled back, concerned eyes checking on his brother. Chanwoo was fine, still holding on to the rope with Bobby. He looked further and saw Donghyuk sitting next to Junhoe, who was shaking his head and holding his arms around himself. He had no idea what they should do, no idea what was about to happen. “Hanbin?”  
  
Hanbin looked back up at the platform, watching the tilt, and he tried to put a clamp on his panic. “Let me go!” He yelled to Bobby, “I'm pulling you forward!”  
  
Bobby didn't argue, just trusted Hanbin's judgement and let the rope go. They heard the splash of Hanbin hitting the water again. It didn't do much to help them, though, and the wooden beams still wobbled precariously. Now that he was back in the water floating next to Jinhwan, Hanbin frowned as he thought about the best course of action for them all.  
  
“Guys listen! That thing is going to fall over any second!” Hanbin yelled, and he wasn't eager to try and dodge a toppling wooden structure as it came crashing down around him. “Can you jump back into the cave?  
  
Chanwoo was at a better angle to judge the distance and answered. “I don't think so, it's too far! Plus this thing is really unstable!”  
  
“Fuck,” Hanbin muttered under his breath, apologetic eyes on Jinhwan, “I think they should jump down here with us.”  
  
“How are we gonna get out?” Jinhwan asked in a panic, trying not to flip out but feeling terrified.  
  
“I don't know, but it'll be safer for them if they just drop down instead of waiting for this thing to fall over!”  
  
“But what if it falls on us?” Jinhwan asked.  
  
“It'll probably hit the wall and stop,” Hanbin explained, and he didn't wait for Jinhwan's approval before yelling up again. “You guys need to jump off that platform right now! Come down here!”  
  
“Are you kidding?!” Yunhyeong yelled back. “We'll all be stuck down there!”  
  
“If you don't that thing is gonna break and you'll fall anyway, and if it breaks we'll all end up getting hurt!” Hanbin replied, and a sudden shift in the platform had them all heeding Hanbin's words.  
  
“This isn't happening,” Junhoe softly muttered to himself, “this isn't fucking happening.”  
  
“Junhoe, we gotta go,” Donghyuk said, hand tight on Junhoe's arm.  
  
“No way, not happening,” Junhoe replied, refusing the move.  
  
Bobby didn't like the idea of them all down in the water with nowhere to go, but Hanbin was right. They were too far away now to make a leap for the cave entrance, and even if they were, one jump would send the old platform off in the opposite direction, damning anyone still on it. But if they stayed up here it was just going to break apart, and he thought Hanbin was probably right about what would happen.  
  
“Donghyuk, Chanwoo, you guys go first,” Bobby asserted, “when you get down move off to the side so you're not in the way and yell back that you're okay!”  
  
“But Junhoe--” Donghyuk said, worried about him.  
  
“I'll look after Junhoe, you guys get down there first!” Chanwoo didn't wait, looking down to make sure the landing space at the bottom was clear before rolling off the platform and free falling down until he broke the water. It was a bit colder than he expected, but nothing that bad, and he surfaced quickly and moved over to where Hanbin and Jinhwan were treading water. Seconds later they were joined by Donghyuk.  
  
Bobby had carefully moved next to Junhoe, reaching out for his arm. “June-ya, come on, you can't stay up here.” He spoke softly, ready to physically manhandle Junhoe down if he had to, but not wanting to risk their safety.  
  
“I am not jumping!” Junhoe staunchly refused, curled in on himself in terror.  
  
“Come on, you'll be okay,” Bobby replied, and once again wished for Jinhwan because he wasn't sure how to talk Junhoe into something like this.  
  
“I can't swim, Bobby! I'm not going down there!”  
  
“You'll be okay, I promise!” Bobby replied, “I'll hold on to you, me and Yunhyeong, and then we'll be with Jinan and he's got his life guarding license, he knows what to do in water!”  
  
“Bobby and I are just a test away from ours, too,” Yunhyeong added, also creeping next to Junhoe, “we won't let anything happen to you.”  
  
Junhoe couldn't contemplate the possibility, terrified out of his mind. The claustrophobia, the darkness, and now the water? Plus it would be even darker down there, and he probably wouldn't be able to see through the water, wouldn't know if _something_ was down there, waiting to bite at his feet and drag him under—  
  
“Junhoe, stop being a little bitch and jump already!” Chanwoo yelled from below, because he knew exactly what was happening up on the platform. There was no way they'd convince Junhoe to jump by being soft. Chanwoo had known him long enough to know that Junhoe would have to be bullied and angered into jumping, it was the only way.  
  
“Fuck off, Chanu!” Junhoe yelled back.  
  
“Get your ass down here you fucking baby!” Chanwoo yelled back, “or I'll tell Lisa that you're afraid of the dark!”  
  
“Fuck OFF Chanu!” Junhoe yelled back, feeling betrayed and angry at Chanwoo's words. But it was having the intended effect. Junhoe wasn't huddled into himself anymore, instead sitting up normally and scowling.  
  
“Then I'll tell Chaeyoung, and you know she'll spread it around like wildfire!” Chanwoo continued, grinning when he saw Junhoe stick his head over the side of the platform to glare at him.  
  
“I'll kick your ass!” Junhoe yelled back, seething with irritation. The nerve! He was already at his wit's end from this stupid wild goose chase and now Chanwoo had the audacity to harass him for his phobias?!  
  
“We gotta jump now!” Bobby yelled, reaching out to grab one of Junhoe's hands, because Junhoe's sudden movement had caused the platform to shift and crack a bit more and he was certain it was going to crash down any second.  
  
Yunhyeong went first, splashing into the water near Jinhwan, and seconds later there were two more splashes as Bobby dragged a screaming Junhoe along with him. They hit the water hard and Junhoe reacted immediately, panic welling up at the sensation of being plunged into the cold water. He thrashed around, limbs flailing, and tried to pull away from Bobby.  
  
But Bobby had been expecting it and remembered what he'd learned in the life guarding course he'd taken together with Yunhyeong and Jinhwan during the winter, remembered how to deal with someone who was struggling. Together with Jinhwan's help they managed to get Junhoe surfaced and restrained, Jinhwan talking in his ear while Yunhyeong urged the rest of them to stay away.  
  
They managed to get Junhoe calmed down to the point that he stopped thrashing, but he was still clearly afraid of what they were going to do, stuck in the water. The platform was still standing, no longer swaying with no weight on it. Hanbin swam over to it, hand on the wooden beam that extended down to the bottom. “I think this thing is stable enough for us to hold on to from down here,” he advised, looking back at the others.  
  
Everyone was silent for a moment now that the main source of panic was over, and Hanbin was brutally aware of having six sets of eyes focused on him. No one was saying it yet, but he knew what was coming, knew they were going to start blaming him any second. They were right to, anyway. This entire thing was his idea, and he'd driven them through every step of the way, forced them on with his own selfish need to find answers. He thought about what he'd told Bobby, that he wanted to find something in order to reconcile what had gone on with his dad, but was it worth all of this?  
  
Well, at least Jinhwan had texted his sister their location. Surely she'd alert someone if she didn't hear from him in the morning?  
  
Jinhwan was the first to speak, swimming over to join Hanbin and speaking quietly. “What are we going to do?” Jinhwan knew that he was being a bit unfair, looking to Hanbin for answers instead of trying to help find a solution himself, but he couldn't help it. Truthfully he was terrified of being stuck here and he'd never really developed any sort of leadership skills, always following his friends. Hanbin always seemed to have answers, though, and Jinhwan had always looked to him in the past during tough situations.  
  
Hanbin was just thankful he wasn't being yelled at yet. “It's too much to hope your phone still works, isn't it?” He asked, even though he already knew the answer to that. Even if someone's phone managed to work despite being wet, there was no way they'd get a signal inside the rock.  
  
“Everyone who's got a phone on them, check it, even though they're probably dead,” Jinhwan yelled to the others, and he took his own phone out from his pocket, but as expected, it didn't turn on.  
  
“I figured as much, but worth a shot,” Hanbin replied, before shining his flashlight up along the wooden beam. If the structure was stable, he'd contemplate trying to climb up, but getting up to the top would probably only break it. But the walls were all smooth planes, with no cracks to try climbing up. The platform might be the only option. “Well, we can either wait for someone to find us, or I can try climbing up.”  
  
“If Seiyeon even thinks about me not calling her,” Jinhwan replied, certain his sister would remember in the morning and try to call him, but he wasn't sure how long she'd give him before telling anyone. Could they really afford to wait that long? He followed Hanbin's flashlight beam, shaking his head at their only viable option. “Can you even climb that? You'd have to shimmy up the whole thing, there's no handholds.”  
  
Hanbin frowned and didn't want to think about that. “I don't know, just wishful thinking anyway. There's no way it's stable enough to support anyone climbing all the way up anyway.”  
  
“What if the rest of us held the legs?” Jinhwan suggested, because they couldn't do nothing.  
  
“I don't think that would matter, it's the upper portion that cracked,” Hanbin answered, highlighting one of the rotted beams with his flashlight, “no way is that gonna hold.”  
  
“So what else do we do?” Jinhwan asked again, at a loss.  
  
“I don't know, Jinan,” Hanbin answered, “I don't have any ideas.” Hanbin bit his lip to keep his wits about him, because they were good and truly stuck. He thought about hours ago, plotting out their location with Donghyuk, and wondered if they'd even done it properly? How many times had they re-checked it to make sure? What if they'd calculated the wrong coordinates? What if she did alert someone and they came to look, but they didn't even look in the right place?  
  
 _All his fault._  
  
“What's the plan?” Chanwoo popped up next to them, Donghyuk following at his side. Bobby and Yunhyeong were both with Junhoe, trying their best to keep him calm. Chanwoo looked from Hanbin to Jinhwan, noting their expressions. “There is no plan, is there?”  
  
Hanbin just shook his head. “Look around, we don't have any options.”  
  
“It's so frustrating, I mean the outside is right up there,” Jinhwan said, looking up at the hole in the ceiling, the sky a lighter shade of blue now that dawn was approaching, “but there's no way we can get to it.”  
  
“There has to be a way out,” Chanwoo said, determined to not be stuck, “let's think about this. Why would they use this place to store stuff if it was so hard to get to it? It doesn't make any sense. I'm sure they probably could have found somewhere else that was easier to access. So why this place?” He looked at Hanbin, because he was usually really good at figuring puzzling situations out.  
  
Hanbin tried to focus his thoughts instead of succumbing to guilt, thinking about Chanwoo's question. Why this place? What advantage would they have in this location?  
  
“It's right on the coast,” he said, remembering the view from up top, and he looked up at the drop, back to where the cave was, “we're probably right next to the sea. It's probably right outside the wall.”  
  
Chanwoo followed his gaze and had the same thoughts. “Where do you think all this water came from?”  
  
Hanbin licked water off his hand, scrunching his face at the taste. “The water's salty, like ocean water, so this isn't just an accumulation of rain. It must be seeping in from somewhere.”  
  
“Maybe there's a tunnel to the outside?” Donghyuk said, excitement creeping into his tone. Like the others he was afraid of being trapped in here, but hopeful optimism was quickly taking over.  
  
Hanbin looked around, taking in the size of the cavern they were in, “it would make sense,” he said, “originally I thought they used the pulley to put things down into the water, but what if they used it to take stuff up? What if this isn't actually a hiding spot at all, but just storage? They probably couldn't move everything they stole right away, maybe they just brought it in here from outside, and then held it here until they were ready to sell it off?”  
  
“Why would they make a treasure map with vague instructions to get here, if it was just storage?” Jinhwan asked, even though it wasn't really important right now. He just wanted to slow them down before they got too excited.  
  
Hanbin grinned at him. “Dramatics? Pirate gang initiation? Can't find the loot, don't get the money?” Jinhwan grinned back and hoped he was right. But the problem still remained that they didn't know for sure if there was a tunnel to the outside, and even if there had been at one point in time, there was no guarantee it was still open now. Not to mention finding it in the dark would be near impossible. Their flashlights still worked, even in the water, but it wasn't the clearest in here and they barely cut through the darkness.  
  
“So should we start looking?” Donghyuk asked, eager to find a way out.  
  
“We need to be smart about this,” Hanbin said, wary of getting his hopes up, but at least it would be a hopeful way to spend time waiting to be found if there was no way out. “It probably goes down fifteen feet? Maybe pick spots along the wall and just go down to the bottom, see if we find anything?”  
  
“That's a good plan,” Jinhwan said, “go down two at a time, maybe? Use the rope to signal if we have a problem? I think it should be long enough for both people to hold if we go down near each other.”  
  
Hanbin nodded. “Yeah we should do that, be as safe as possible.”  
  
“Okay, I'm gonna go tell the others what we're doing and just, make sure Junhoe's okay.” Jinhwan swam back to where the other three were, Junhoe still clinging to Bobby and looking extremely pale. Yunhyeong was trying to engage him in conversation, but Junhoe was staying quiet.  
  
“What's the plan?” Bobby asked, hoping they had something.  
  
“Well, after thinking about it, we think it's pretty likely that there must be a tunnel that connects out to the sea, so we're gonna try and find it.” Jinhwan replied, eyes on Junhoe to watch his reaction. It wasn't good.  
  
“Cool, that sounds like a good idea.” Bobby answered, trying to stay positive, mostly for Junhoe's sake.  
  
“If you guys want to move to one of the beams they're stable enough to hold on to, so you don't have to tread water constantly.” It might help Junhoe if he had something more than just a person to hold, Jinhwan thought.  
  
“Yeah, let's do that,” Yunhyeong replied, thinking along the same lines as Jinhwan. The sooner they could get Junhoe out of here, the better. Everyone was nervous about the situation, but none of them were as bad as Junhoe.  
  
Jinhwan locked eyes with Junhoe then, reaching out to grab his hand. “We're gonna get out of here, okay? Everything's gonna be okay, I promise.”  
  
Junhoe was trying to contain his feelings, the terror and absolute misery at being stuck in this wet, cold cavern was really wearing him down. “You don't know that.”  
  
“Well we're gonna try, and my sister knows where we are and if she doesn't hear from me, she's going to get someone to come and look for us. Just hold on a bit, okay?” Jinhwan squeezed his hand, wishing he could stay with him, but they were all going to have to take turns anyway, and right now his skills in the water would be better utilized trying to find a way out. He swam back over to the others, where Donghyuk was holding one end of the rope and holding the other out to Jinhwan.  
  
“You and I are gonna go down first, then Hanbin and Chanwoo.”

 

Jinhwan took his end of the rope and spaced himself out a few feet from Donghyuk. Hanbin and Chanwoo were both holding the middle of the rope, ready to react if either of the two going down tugged on it. Jinhwan locked eyes on Hanbin, who nodded at him, and then he and Donghyuk were diving down, using their hands to crawl down the wall to the base of the pool, flashlights playing over the wall. It was hard to get down to the bottom, and the visibility was terrible. Jinhwan resurfaced after finding nothing, which is the same thing Donghyuk reported.  
  
They switched places with Hanbin and Chanwoo, each pair diving down to try and reach the bottom, looking for a way out. They covered a small portion of the cavern's pool before calling for a break, all four of them tired already after the continual dives down with no real chance to rest.  
  
“We're not giving up, we're just resting,” Donghyuk said, sounding like he was trying to make himself believe a lie. Hanbin laid on his back, floating in an effort to rest a bit. The sky overhead was an even lighter shade of blue now, and he guessed it must nearly be dawn. He wondered if Jinhwan's sister would contact anyone. He hoped they'd find a way out before then. He was still wearing his backpack with the coins and gems inside. Who would they even talk to about what they'd found? What were you supposed to do with this sort of stuff?  
  
He wondered if they'd be allowed to keep any of it. Would they be rewarded in some way? He wanted something, just a coin, at least, something he could keep for his dad. That wasn't much to ask for, was it? There was so much down here.  
  
He thought he saw movement in the corner of his eye and he blinked, refocusing his vision above. He'd definitely seen something. A shadow poking out against the blue of the sky. He kept watching, wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him, or if something was actually there. What would it even be? An animal of some sort? He hoped it wasn't the bats again, certain that would send them all into a panic. Bats wouldn't roost in an area with an open ceiling. They needed darkness when they slept during the day.  
  
It poked out again and Hanbin watched, curiosity held by the constantly reappearing shadow.  
  
“Hanbin, we're gonna get started again,” Jinhwan called to him, but Hanbin made no move to join them yet. “Hey, you hear me?” Jinhwan called again, joining Hanbin at his side. “What are you staring at?” Jinhwan asked, noticing that Hanbin's gaze seemed to be caught on something.  
  
“There's something up there,” Hanbin said, “I keep seeing something poking out from the side, trying to figure out what it is.”  
  
Jinhwan looked up as well, watching the spot Hanbin indicated, and he saw it too. “Bird, maybe?”  
  
“That's what I figure,” Hanbin agreed, “and if birds are roosting here, then we know we're right at the coast.”  
  
Jinhwan felt a bit more positive about their situation upon hearing that, feeling slightly renewed at the idea of finding a way out. “Okay well, unless that bird decides to fly down here and show us the way out, we should get back to work. Come on, Chanu and Donghyuk are gonna trade off with Bobby and Yunhyeong so we can make them help out.”  
  
“Alright,” Hanbin relented, though part of him just wanted to lay there and watch the bird, just in case. It felt like some kind of sign, though that was probably just wishful thinking. He joined Jinhwan, Bobby, and Yunhyeong on another stretch of wall, and tried his best to ignore how tired he was feeling already.  
  
Chanwoo floated by Junhoe, who was clinging to the wooden beam with both arms, Donghyuk at his side. He felt bad for Junhoe, who was stuck in the middle of three of his worst fears. They teased each other a lot, but Junhoe was one of his closest friends (the closest, after Donghyuk) and it was only the knowledge that Junhoe hated getting sympathy that kept him from being too nice to him.  
  
“Hey, June, sorry about what I said earlier,” Chanwoo apologized, trying not to laugh when Junhoe just glared at him, “I promise I won't say a thing to Lisa about this!”  
  
“Bullshit you won't,” Junhoe replied.  
  
“I won't, I swear!” Chanwoo promised, happy that Junhoe was at least answering him.  
  
“It'll be our secret! We can tell Lisa that you were the one who jumped down to find the treasure,” Donghyuk teased, and Junhoe turned his glare on Donghyuk then.  
  
“She'll know you're lying,” Junhoe replied, and he kind of wanted to kick the both of them, but at the same time he was grateful to them for trying to take his mind off of the fact that he was stuck in the water.  
  
“We'll come up with a super convincing story,” Chanwoo offered, “the hyungs will go along with it, I'm sure of it!”  
  
“We might have to make it equally good for Yunhyeong hyung too, so Jisoo will be impressed,” Donghyuk said.  
  
“Ah right, that's a thoughtful idea! Maybe he fought off the colony of bats?” Chanwoo offered, surprised when Junhoe yelled at him.  
  
“Don't mention those!” Junhoe whined, because he still couldn't stop thinking about some sea creature climbing up from the depths to grab at his feet—he didn't care how childish it sounded, the thought was in his head and refused to leave. Now he had to think about the damn bats, too. It was too much.  
  
“Ah, sorry! Honestly didn't mean it,” Chanwoo apologized, “just trying to think of a suitable lie to tell about Yunhyeong hyung.” He turned to look at the other four, watching as Bobby returned to the surface and Hanbin dove down, and he wondered how long they could honestly survive here if they didn't find a way out. He was already feeling hungry and thirsty, and there was nothing more frustrating than being surrounded by water that you can't actually drink.  
  
Just then there was a sound from above, the fluttering of wings, and Chanwoo looked up, worried for a moment that the bats were back after all. But it wasn't a bat—whatever it was was too big.  
  
“Is there a bird up there?” Donghyuk asked, eyes on the ceiling, and without warning the bird dove down straight into the water, barely making a splash. Donghyuk looked at Chanwoo, who was staring at the water, and then looked over at Bobby, who was staring back at them.  
  
“Did you guys see that?” Bobby yelled.  
  
“Yeah! It just dove under!” Donghyuk swam over to the spot where it had slipped under the surface, playing around with his flashlight but seeing nothing.  
  
“Is it still there?” Bobby asked, who'd been joined by Hanbin.  
  
“Was it that bird from up top?” Hanbin asked, and Bobby confirmed, and Hanbin felt like cursing because _he'd known_ there was something about it! “Where did it go?”  
  
“I don't know, but it went into the water right here!” Donghyuk said, treading water in the spot.  
  
“That's kind of in the middle,” Hanbin said, “which way did it dive? It must have gone in at an angle.” Hanbin wished he'd been watching!   
  
“It came in from the left,” Chanwoo answered, “so it must have been going that way!” Chanwoo pointed at a spot along the wall they hadn't inspected, and Hanbin swam over immediately.  
  
“Okay let's refocus over here!” Hanbin yelled to the others, hoping Chanwoo had seen it properly. He waited until the other three joined him, and he and Jinhwan dove down together, and maybe it was just wishful thinking again, but Hanbin swore the water felt a little colder here, felt different.  
  
He didn't see anything in the near darkness but he felt a tugging on the rope from Bobby, and he swam back up to the surface, his limbs burning from the effort but the promise of a potential exit kept him going.  
  
“I found it!” Jinhwan relayed, eyes wide with excitement. “It's definitely big enough for us to swim through!”  
  
Hanbin felt like crying, he was so relieved. They weren't going to be stuck, there was a way out!  
  
“How long is it?” Yunhyeong asked, and that brought them back to reality.  
  
Jinhwan shrugged. “I don't know, I couldn't tell.”  
  
“What if it's really long?” Yunhyeong asked, worry creeping into his tone.  
  
“It can't be that long,” Hanbin said, “because that bird dove out through it.”  
  
“I wonder what kind of bird it was? Must be one that dives down to get fish,” Jinhwan replied, not terribly familiar with birds.  
  
“Wonder why it goes through here and not just into the ocean itself?” Bobby asked, looking back up at the hole and through to the sky.  
  
“Maybe less competition this way? I wonder if fish ever swim in here?” Yunhyeong asked.  
  
“Maybe,” Jinhwan contemplated, thinking about how he was going to do this, “I should check how long it is, I'm the strongest swimmer and I can hold my breath the longest.” He looked at the other three, and they all nodded in agreement.  
  
“It makes the most sense,” Bobby agreed, though he still felt wary. What would happen if the tunnel out was way longer than expected? What if Jinhwan got stuck?  
  
“Take the rope,” Hanbin said, “we'll hold one end, and if anything happens, tug on it.” He was thinking the same thing as Bobby, worried about Jinhwan getting stuck. He wanted to offer to try it himself, but he knew Jinhwan was the best option.  
  
Jinhwan nodded and tried not to think about the possibility of _anything_ happening. He kept thinking about the bird, wondering how long diving birds were able to hold their breaths? His own record for holding his breath was at just over two minutes, but that was in a calm environment. Swimming, especially when he was already tired, he imagined he would clock out at closer to thirty seconds.  
  
He'd just have to swim really fast.  
  
He held the end of the rope in one hand and Hanbin held the other, and Jinhwan wondered if he ought to tell Junhoe what he was doing? He kept thinking about _what ifs_ , kept thinking about the tunnel being longer than expected. He couldn't do that, though, he couldn't let himself panic. He had to believe it was short enough, not just for him but for the other six as well.  
  
He looked between Bobby and Yunhyeong, forcing a smile, and finally met Hanbin's eyes, who were watching him in concern and Jinhwan was certain he saw a bit of guilt in there too. The smile he gave Hanbin wasn't as forced.  
  
“This will work, Bin-ah,” he said, reaching out for Hanbin's hand, “it'll work and we'll get out of here and they'll come and find all the treasure, and then you'll be a hero,” he teased, and Hanbin tried to smile back but Jinhwan knew how to read him.  
  
“You're a stronger swimmer, you can make this.” Hanbin replied, wishing his emotions weren't getting so clogged up right now, but he was stuck on worrying, stuck on fear of the unknown. It wasn't so bad if he was the one going through it, but it was Jinhwan this time, and if anything happened to him...  
  
“Alright well nothing is going to happen if you just hang out here,” Bobby interrupted, patting Jinhwan's shoulder, “swim fast and go find some fish!”  
  
Jinhwan nodded, making himself look away from Hanbin. He took a moment to compose himself by the wall, hands on the rock, slowing his breathing down, doing exercises to psyche himself up for this. He loved being in the water, felt at home, knew it was something he excelled at. If any of them were going to find a way out of the cave, it was on him, and he could do it.  
  
With his heart as calm as it was going to get he took in a lungful of oxygen and dove down, finding the tunnel outside. It was easily large enough for two of them to swim side by side and he gripped the rope tightly in his hand and counted, arms cutting through the water fluidly. The further he went he started to feel a bit of resistance, which could only mean that water was flowing into the tunnel, and it spurred him on because it had to mean he was close.  
  
The water was also not as dark here, and he could see light up ahead, which of course meant the sun! At twenty two seconds he was out in the open water, air mere feet above him. But he'd reached the end of the rope, his tether not allowing him to get up into the safety of the air. He pulled on the rope once, hard enough to be sure that Hanbin felt it, but it was controlled and not panicked and he prayed that Hanbin understood what it meant because he let it go, dropped it on his way up to break the surface of the water to refill his burning lungs.  
  
Back in the cavern they waited, and Hanbin's heart jolted when he felt Jinhwan pull on the rope, brain immediately assuming the worst. But then suddenly the rope went slack and he waited, mouth open in shock, waited for Jinhwan to pull again, waited for a sign that he was okay.  
  
“Hanbin, what's wrong?” Yunhyeong asked, picking up on his expression immediately.  
  
“Hanbin?” Bobby watched as Hanbin pulled the rope up, indicating to them that Jinhwan was no longer holding on to the other end. “Shit! Is he in trouble?” Bobby's mind was nearly in full panic mode, terrified that something had happened to Jinhwan.  
  
“I don't know,” Hanbin said, trying to stay calm, “I don't know?”  
  
“What happened?” Yunhyeong asked, trying his best to stay calm.  
  
“He pulled on it,” Hanbin explained, fighting to control his own fear, “it wasn't, he wasn't tugging at it, like he just pulled on it once, and then let it go.” He thought about what that meant, thought that maybe it didn't mean Jinhwan was in trouble. “If he got into trouble he was supposed to tug at it, he was supposed to shake it. But this almost felt like, it felt like it was a sign? Maybe like he was trying to tell me that he was letting go?”  
  
“Why would he let go, though?” Bobby asked, terrified at the thought of Jinhwan in trouble and out of their reach.  
  
“Maybe he ran out of rope,” Hanbin said, and it suddenly made sense. “He must have seen the end and just didn't have enough rope left, so he pulled on it to let me know he had to drop it. That has to be it! If he was in trouble he would have tugged it more, it would have felt like he was panicking, but this didn't feel like it.”  
  
“Are you sure?” Yunhyeong said, not because he doubted Hanbin, but just because he was the only one who'd been holding it, the only one who had felt anything.  
  
Hanbin nodded. “Yeah, yeah I'm sure. He must have gotten out of the tunnel and just run out of rope. I mean it's not surprising, right? It's not that long, it's totally plausible.”  
  
Bobby wasn't placated, though, and he kept feeling like there was a problem, feeling like he had to do something, had to go after Jinhwan himself and find out. He would have, had it not been for Hanbin grabbing him.  
  
“Hey, stay calm,” Hanbin told him, “you're freaking out.”  
  
“Of course I am!” Bobby yelled back, caught in the grip of his own terrified emotions. “What if that wasn't it, Hanbin? Or what if he did run out of rope, but he's not near the exit? What if--”  
  
“Bobby!” Yunhyeong yelled, grabbing his other arm. “Stop thinking like that, it's not going to help.”  
  
“One of us should go after him,” Bobby said, “one of us needs to go and check--”  
  
“We need to stay here,” Hanbin replied, cutting him off, “we need to stay here and wait for him to come back.”  
  
“What if he doesn't come back?” Bobby shot back.  
  
“If he doesn't come back, then whoever else goes after him won't come back either!” Hanbin replied, and god did he ever _hate_ saying it out loud, but it was true. If Jinhwan did get stuck, no one else would make it either. “He's the best swimmer out of us, Bobby, and we have to wait for him.”  
  
Bobby wanted to keep arguing but he knew Hanbin was right, and he knew he was too caught up in his concern over his best friend to be thinking clearly. It was just so hard, since there was no way to communicate, no way for them to see him. Bobby closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the rock, tried to calm down, thought about the rest of them. How could he have been so careless, yelling out in a panic? How would it affect Junhoe, who barely had a grasp on himself? What about his brother, or Donghyuk? They didn't even know what was going on, the four of them had decided not to tell them.  
  
“I'm sorry, guys, I'm sorry,” Bobby said, guilt at breaking down overpowering terror at the moment.  
  
“It's okay,” Hanbin said, enveloping him in a hug, “it's okay, we're all worried.” Hanbin couldn't handle seeing Bobby break down. Bobby, who had been there during Hanbin's breakdown earlier; watching him now made Hanbin feel like his own terror for Jinhwan's safety would consume him.  
  
“Don't feel bad,” Yunhyeong added, wrapping his arms around both of them, “we're probably panicking for nothing, Jinhwan's probably gonna come out of that hole any second now and laugh at us.”  
  
But Jinhwan didn't come back out. They waited for minutes that stretched on far too long, waited with nothing to show for it except mounting fear and racing pulses when Jinhwan still didn't show. Ten minutes passed and Hanbin was near tears, trying to hold them back, the rope clutched weakly in his fingers. What was he going to do? He kept trying to think of all the possibilities, kept trying to think of reasons why Jinhwan hadn't come back. There were plenty of good reasons why he hadn't returned yet.  
  
But there were also plenty of terrible reasons, and the more he thought about it, the dumber the entire idea was. Jinhwan had swum out in the _open ocean_ —where waves crashed against the cliff, where the currents were probably strong underwater, where the opportunity existed for them all to be washed out further away from land to die in the saltwater from thirst or starvation.  
  
Why had they thought that this was a good idea? Why hadn't they just waited?  
  
Just as the first tear stubbornly pushed its way past his tightly squeezed eyelids Hanbin felt something grab his foot and he startled, yelling and kicking out reflexively. A splash later and loud laughter filled the cavern.  
  
It was Jinhwan.  
  
“Miss me?” He asked, breathing hard, but _breathing_ , _alive, laughing_ , and Hanbin's tears came pouring out then as he lunged through the water at him, arms gripping him in the tightest hug he could give and he nearly dragged Jinhwan under right then and there.  
  
But Jinhwan pulled him off, and brought his hands up to Hanbin's face and he couldn't help but cry too. “I'm okay,” Jinhwan choked out, and then there were more hands on him, more arms around him and the four of them were a sobbing mess.  
  
“I thought you were _gone_ ,” Hanbin said, still crying, the entirety of his guilt crushing him. Jinhwan could very well have died and the entire thing would have been _Hanbin's fault_. His fault, for dragging them on this chase. His fault, for demanding they find this stupid cave. His fault, for diving off the platform above when they could have turned back.  
  
“I'm not, I'm still here,” Jinhwan replied, touched by Hanbin's breakdown and feeling a little guilty for taking so long to come back.  
  
Hanbin didn't answer, just clung to Jinhwan and cried himself out. Jinhwan hugged him and Bobby hugged him too, and Yunhyeong joined them on the other side, all three of them patting Hanbin soothingly. Eventually Hanbin got a hold of himself and pushed them all away.  
  
“Fuck, I'm sorry,” Hanbin said, voice heavy with emotion, “this is all my fault, I just feel terrible.”  
  
“Don't say that,” Yunhyeong said, “don't blame yourself.”  
  
“But it is,” Hanbin replied, “if I hadn't jumped down here—”  
  
“Hey, what's done is done, no sense feeling bad about it.” Yunhyeong patted Hanbin's head, and Hanbin couldn't begin to explain how soothing it was, coming from Yunhyeong, who'd been the one set on turning back the most just earlier. He met Yunhyeong's eyes and his smile made Hanbin feel even better, like forgiveness was truly there. Yunhyeong pulled him closer and Hanbin went willingly, grateful for the hug.  
  
“Yeah, that's enough crying for now,” Bobby said, though he was touched by Yunhyeong being so tender with Hanbin too. “Let's hear what Jinan found.”  
  
The four of them swam back over to where Chanwoo and Donghyuk waited with Junhoe, who was still clinging to the post and glaring at Jinhwan with angry eyes.  
  
“Don't even think about coming near me,” Junhoe said, “I can't believe you just did something that stupid!”  
  
Jinhwan ignored his threat and swam over to him anyway, wrapping arms around him. “I didn't want to make you worry needlessly,” Jinhwan said, tempted to apologize, but he knew it would just make Junhoe angrier. It wouldn't last, anyway.  
  
“Yeah, whatever.” Junhoe replied, too exhausted to say anything else. He was just relieved Jinhwan was okay.  
  
“Okay, so, as you all know, we found a way out,” Jinhwan started explaining, “there's a tunnel through the cliff wall, it comes out into the ocean.”  
  
“What's it like?” Hanbin asked, serious eyes on Jinhwan, who knew what Hanbin was really asking.  
  
“I won't lie, it'll be dangerous,” Jinhwan answered, “the current's not too bad where it comes out, but it's probably about two hundred feet from shore? So we'd get out, but we'd have to swim to the beach still, and I don't know what the current will be like the closer we get. Plus the waves are a little high.” Jinhwan was almost tempted to suggest that they stay put, or that not all of them go.  
  
Hanbin contemplated the news, coming to the same ideas that Jinhwan had. Should they all go? Of course they'd probably feel better being out in the open air, but at the same time it would be extremely dangerous. He chewed on his lip and stared at Jinhwan.  
  
“Will it be dangerous to stay up against the cliff, or will we have to swim out into the more open water?” Bobby asked.  
  
Jinhwan wasn't sure. “Honestly, I don't know,” he'd taken so long to come back because he'd floated by the opening, just looking around and trying to assess their options. “Like I said, near the opening it wasn't so bad, but there's no telling what the currents are like out there, everything could change five feet away. The waves might crash against the rocks with even more force as we get closer to the shore, so we might have to swim away from the cliff.”  
  
Bobby nodded, his eyes on Junhoe, wondering what they were going to do with him. The rest of them were capable swimmers, but not only could Junhoe not swim at all, but he panicked in water. At least in here he had a stable place to stay, though Bobby imagined he was probably exhausted from clinging tightly to the beam all this time. Could they safely get him out and keep him afloat without him panicking?  
  
“Does anyone not want to go?” Jinhwan asked, looking around at the group. “Be honest, if anyone is scared and would rather stay here, just say so. It's going to be really dangerous out there.”  
  
No one took the offer, though Jinhwan's thoughts were on Junhoe as well. He didn't want to leave him again, but he didn't know if they could safely support him out in the open water.  
  
“No one?” He asked again.  
  
“I think we're all itching to get out of here,” Donghyuk answered, “it'll be dangerous, but if we stay here it'll be tough as well. At least if we had somewhere to sit, it might not be so bad, but either way, out there or in here, we'll have to be floating anyway. Might as well try to get back to land.”  
  
Jinhwan nodded and looked to Hanbin, but that's when he realized that Hanbin wasn't exactly making a move to decide anything. This decision was being left up to Jinhwan, because he was the one with the best knowledge of the situation.  
  
“Okay, well, if we're all going to go, then we need to do this carefully,” he began to explain, “first of all, the tunnel out takes about twenty five to thirty seconds to get through, depending on how fast you go,” he said, and their eyes all went wide. “I know that sounds like a long time, but I was okay by the time I got out, and I stopped for a few seconds when I reached the end of the rope,” he explained, “so as long as you stay calm while you swim, you should be okay.”  
  
Yunhyeong's eyes were on Junhoe, who was looking even paler than usual. “What about Junhoe?” He asked, because they needed to discuss what to do with him.  
  
Jinhwan thought about it and looked at Junhoe, whose eyes were on him and looking determined. “We can't leave him behind,” Jinhwan said, and even though he felt like maybe it wasn't the safest thing for them, he wasn't willing to separate if everyone else wanted to go, “the tunnel is wide enough for two people to swim side by side, so I think it would be best if three of us help Junhoe out. I'll hold his feet and swim from the back, and I was thinking that you and Bobby could hold one hand each and pull him along.”  
  
Bobby and Yunhyeong looked at each other momentarily before nodding. “We can do that.”  
  
“Hanbin, I want you to go first,” Jinhwan made the decision based on Hanbin's ability to keep calm in stressful situations (at least normally, but Jinhwan was certain if he placed that expectation on Hanbin now, he'd be fine), “and I want you to carry the rope. Chanwoo and Donghyuk, you guys go after Hanbin, go together and stick close to each other. As soon as you guys clear the surface, grab the rope. I want everyone to hold on to that rope when we make it out, okay? We can't let anyone get separated.”  
  
Everyone nodded, all eyes on Jinhwan. He thought about it all one last time, went through it in his head. Was he really making the right decision? It was still barely light out, after all, the sun just peeking over the horizon. Should they wait until it was lighter?  
  
Everyone was already tired, though, and he knew if they stayed here any longer their energy would continue to be sapped by their fear. If they were going to go they had to go now.  
  
“Okay, if everyone's ready, let's do this,” he met each of their gazes, hoping he didn't look as terrified as he felt, “like I said, getting through is going to take up to thirty seconds. It's going to be really dark at first, but after fifteen seconds it'll look like it's getting lighter ahead, and then when you clear the rock you'll have to swim up a bit to break the surface. Stay as close to the cliff when you get out, because if you get away from it, it might be hard to find you.”  
  
They all nodded and Jinhwan took a deep breath, still a little in disbelief that they were in this situation. It was crazy to think that their climb up the wall of the gorge was no longer the most dangerous thing they were going to have done over the course of the weekend.  
  
He swam over to the wall with Hanbin, Donghyuk and Chanwoo following, and before any of them went he insisted that they all take a minute to dive under and look and feel around the tunnel, so there was no time wasting. Once the three of them were ready they surfaced again, and Jinhwan looked from face to face, trying not to doubt his decision.  
  
“Okay, guys, last chance to back out,” he said, but they met him with determined expressions. He focused his attention on Hanbin, who stared back at him with a steeled expression. “Make sure you watch for everyone as they come out, okay?”  
  
Hanbin nodded. “I will. You be careful with Junhoe.”  
  
Jinhwan nodded back. “I will.” They embraced for a brief hug that Jinhwan wished could last way longer than it did, before Hanbin pulled away and coiled the rope around his body.  
  
“Oh, one last thing,” Jinhwan called to them all, “it'll be easiest to use the breaststroke under water, okay? It'll tire you out the least. Don't flutter kick, that'll tire you out really quick and won't really move you as fast if you can't use overhand.”  
  
“Understood,” Hanbin called back, and he waved to them all before turning to face the wall, steeling his nerves before heading out. He felt oddly calm, though he felt like that was probably because he wasn't the one making the decisions right now. Jinhwan had given him a direct task, and Hanbin knew exactly what he had to do and could focus on doing it, instead of watching anyone else.  
  
He took a deep breath and dived down, hands propelling him into the tunnel, scrabbling along the side of it until he pushed off and started to swim.  
  
It was terrifying. He wasn't the sort that scared easily, but this was definitely up there in terms of the worst thing he'd ever had to do. Jinhwan hadn't been kidding, it was pitch black in the water, the light of his flashlight barely cutting through ahead of him. He counted in his head and around the fifteen second mark, just as Jinhwan had said, he noticed that the water looked lighter ahead, and he knew it meant that he would break through the tunnel soon. It was tiring though, especially since he was already exhausted from being up all night and the dives down looking for the tunnel. But adrenaline drove him on, and he could see the exit as he started to feel a burning in his lungs. He tried his best to remain calm, to remember Jinhwan's advice, and then he was out of the tunnel, the surface just there at his fingertips.  
  
Hanbin breached it, popping out of the water to take a lungful of air, but just as he was closing his mouth a wave crashed into the side of his head and he spluttered, mouth full of water. He fought to stay calm, spitting the water out and timing his next breath more carefully, diving under the surface as the next wave came.  
  
It wasn't any less scary now that he was out, because Jinhwan hadn't been kidding. The shore looked so far away and the water was not calm where they waited. He remembered his task, though, and he turned around and took a breath before plunging back into the water, eyes open and alert as he scanned for Donghyuk and Chanwoo. He quickly began to untangle the rope from himself, keeping a hold of it so it didn't get too far. That's when he saw Donghyuk emerge first out of the tunnel, and Hanbin swam down towards him, while Donghyuk kicked hard to get up to the surface. Chanwoo was just behind him, and Hanbin followed Donghyuk back up now that he'd gotten sights on the both of them.  
  
He popped up beside Donghyuk, reaching out to grab his arm, trying to be a calm presence while Donghyuk coughed water from out of his mouth. Chanwoo popped up beside Hanbin, struggling to get a good breath, and Hanbin held his arm too, forcing Chanwoo to look him in the eyes while he tried to get a lungful of air. Donghyuk recovered quickly and grabbed the rope, and soon Chanwoo seemed to get a hold of himself as well.  
  
Hanbin made sure they were both holding the rope before diving back down to wait for the others, counting under the water so he never spent too long below the surface. He wanted to watch with enough air in his lungs to help if they needed it with Junhoe.  
  
He popped back up to get more air, shaking his head at the other two who huddled together, arms around each other. Hanbin counted to ten before filling his lungs again and plunging back down. He swam to the tunnel entrance and then he saw them. While Bobby looked composed, Yunhyeong's face seemed strained in near panic and Hanbin thought that it was likely he had run out of oxygen. Hanbin waved at him to let go of Junhoe's hand and get himself out quicker and Yunhyeong did that, dropping the hand and swimming past Hanbin, who quickly met Bobby and reached for Junhoe's free hand, taking his spot and giving a renewed bit of strength to their rush to get Junhoe up.  
  
As soon as they cleared the tunnel Hanbin put himself under Junhoe's arm, waving at Bobby to let him go, and together Hanbin and Jinhwan pushed Junhoe up until he broke the surface. Hanbin held him as best as he could while Junhoe flailed, involuntary panic reflexes acting up, and Jinhwan had to move away from him before he got kicked in the face.  
  
Yunhyeong was the first to react when he saw Junhoe flailing over Hanbin, effectively dragging them both under. He'd barely recovered his own breath but he dove under, quickly swimming up behind Junhoe. He unhooked Hanbin from Junhoe's flailing grasp and pushed him away before hooking his own arms under Junhoe and struggling to push them both back up to the surface.  
  
Bobby swam over to help Yunhyeong, while Jinhwan made sure Hanbin made it back up to get some air. Eventually they managed to get Junhoe calmed down, and Bobby took over holding him up. Jinhwan made sure everyone got a grip on the rope before getting them all in close to each other, thankful everyone had managed to make it out. It had been more of a struggle towing Junhoe than he'd expected, and Jinhwan was absolutely exhausted.  
  
They were all tired, and he knew Bobby would only be able to keep Junhoe up for a short period of time before he got too tired to carry on. He needed to make a decision about what they were going to do and he needed to make it right now.  
  
“Listen up!” He yelled as loudly as possible, hoping they could all hear him. “Follow me! We're going to swim in a diagonal towards the shore!” He made the decision based on the direction the waves were rolling in, pointing to further his instruction. He looked at Junhoe, who was still looking extremely fearful but Jinhwan noted that he was at least aware of himself again, not likely to start panicking as long as someone was supporting him.  
  
“June, let Bobby turn around and hold him from the back!” Jinhwan yelled to them, and he felt bad for Bobby, because Junhoe wasn't the smallest one among them, but in reality Bobby was the only one who could really keep Junhoe up.  
  
Once they were all alert and ready Jinhwan held on to the end of the rope and started swimming in his chosen direction towards the shore, trying his best to keep his wits about him. He wanted to swim in the lead in order to watch out for shifts in the current, hopefully catching them in time before they all got swept up. Not that they could really fight it, of course. Ocean currents were strong and just a matter of luck in avoiding.  
  
Even with all his planning and attempts at safety, Jinhwan felt his heart lurch when he felt the first tug of a current pull him off track, and he didn't even have time to alert the others before they were all being pulled further out, away from their destination. He held fast to the rope, hoping the others were still doing the same but not even able to check. The waves were crashing over them and he chanced submerging himself, looking around until he found Bobby and Junhoe, and watching Junhoe's flailing legs had Jinhwan worried again. He didn't know if Bobby had enough strength left to endure another panic attack of Junhoe's.  
  
Jinhwan swam over to them, doing what he could to help Bobby support Junhoe. Chanwoo was there too, and together the three of them managed to keep Junhoe up, and after a moment he calmed down again, and that was when Jinhwan noticed that the water was a bit calmer, which suggested that they had been deposited out of the current, at least.  
  
But when he turned around to gauge how far off track they were he felt his stomach drop. He didn't know if it was just momentary panic, but the shore looked like it was at least twice as far away now. Swimming that far in calm conditions would be enough of a struggle. How were they possibly going to make it with the water this choppy?  
  
Then there was a hand tugging on his arm and Jinhwan turned around, only to see Hanbin pointing to the side and yelling, but Jinhwan couldn't make out what he was saying. Hanbin finally pulled Jinhwan closer and yelled into his ear.  
  
“BOAT!”  
  
Jinhwan's eyes went wide at the word and he followed Hanbin's arm, disbelief when he saw what was definitely a fishing boat heading their way. Had they been spotted? Was it possible? The others were excited but Jinhwan watched the vessel, worried that maybe the boat was just heading along its normal path out to sea.  
  
And that's exactly what is was doing, because it suddenly veered off a bit. Jinhwan's heart raced as he thought about the situation. They _needed_ that boat to see them, because there was no way they would make it back to shore. But there were too many waves for anyone in the boat to see them, because they barely stuck out from the water. What could they do?  
  
Hanbin seemed to notice as well because he was back at Jinhwan's ear. “What do we do?!” He yelled, and Jinhwan wished he had an answer.  
  
“Hyung!” Chanwoo was at his other side, “climb up on my shoulders!” Despite being the youngest of them all, Chanwoo had inherited the same genetics as his brother and was already the second tallest in the group. Jinhwan knew he didn't really have a choice, one of them would have to make themselves taller in order to even attempt to catch the fishing vessel's attention.  
  
And they had a good chance of it, because one of the fishermen was currently standing on the side of the boat that faced them, inspecting a net. So Jinhwan hoped for the best and tried to clamber up onto Chanwoo's back, worried about possibly pushing Chanwoo under. But Hanbin and Donghyuk were there watching while Yunhyeong was helping Bobby, and so Jinhwan climbed up on Chanwoo, who struggled with the added weight. Hanbin and Donghyuk got under Chanwoo's arms, helping to keep them all afloat, while Jinhwan finally got himself seated on Chanwoo's shoulders, waving his arms frantically and yelling, even though he knew there was no way his voice would carry.  
  
It didn't have to, though, because it seemed like fate was one their side, and as soon as Jinhwan was up and waving, the fisherman finished inspecting his net and looked out over the water towards the shore, perhaps taking a last longing glance at the island before spending a month on the open water, and he paused when his eyes fell on the flailing arms of a body. Jinhwan watched as he shielded his eyes and stared, and he could see the fisherman yelling and running for the captain.  
  
Jinhwan toppled off of Chanwoo's shoulders just as the boat made a sudden turn, the waves tossing them around, but the boat quickly made it's way towards them, and this time it was Hanbin who was offering himself and Jinhwan climbed up his back, just enough to make visual contact with the fishermen again, who waved back at him. He slid off of Hanbin's back and made sure they were all together still, all seven of them, and they watched as the fishing boat got as close to them as possible, the men on board stunned as they threw out a line to the boys.  
  
They made sure to get Junhoe out of the water first, who was flailing again in desperation to reach the safety of the boat. Jinhwan waited until the end, made sure everyone else got on board first before finally taking the line and letting himself be pulled up and onto the boat. He was crying by the time his fingers touched the metal and wood, great heaving sobs as one of the men pulled him up and wrapped a blanket around him, rubbing his arms and telling him that he was okay, reassuring him that he was safe.  
  
The seven of them huddled together on the floor of the ship as the captain detoured his route to bring them back, the fishermen making them tea, and every time their eyes met one another's the tears came again, tears of relief and gratefulness at having survived, at having made it out together.  
  
One of the fishermen sat with them and asked them how they had gotten themselves stuck in the water, what on earth they'd been doing to wind up in that kind of trouble. They all looked at Hanbin and Hanbin grinned back at them before slinging his backpack off and reaching into the pocket, withdrawing a single gold coin. He tossed it to the fisherman.  
  
“Have you ever heard about the lost treasure of Kony's Island?”

 


	15. Epilogue 1: Endings and Continuations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Many things change after news breaks about the discovery of the treasure of Kony's Island.

“Are you ready to go, sweetheart?”

Hanbin nodded, standing in front of his mother, whose eyes shone with pride as she looked him over, fixing his tie. It was only three days since they'd boarded the fishing boat in the sea, three days since they'd made it back to land and reunited with their families after the near disaster inside the cave. When Hanbin had demanded to speak to a park ranger on the island and showed him the coins and gems they'd found, he'd been referred to the head of the archaeology department at Seoul National University, whose program was familiar to the island's park rangers for their field study.

With the ranger there to vouch for their discovery, the university had sent a team out to recover more of the treasure that same day, and now the seven of them and their parents were called in to meet with the head of the department to learn more about what they'd discovered.

Hanbin was equally excited and nervous, wondering what the outcome of their meeting would be. Would they get some kind of public recognition for this? It was a well known local legend, after all, about pirate treasure hidden on the island. Now they'd proven it true, to a degree.

“I'm really proud of you, I hope you know that,” his mother said, and Hanbin smiled at her and nodded, “I know it's been a tough year for you, I'm sorry for everything, but, you made the best of it, didn't you?”

“Ah, stop it, mom!” Hanbin whined, though secretly he was pleased to hear her comments. “It's been a tough year for all of us.”

“I know why you went looking,” she told him, and Hanbin couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes, “he'll be happy to hear about what you found.”

Hanbin nodded, not quite able to speak because it was still a bit too much for him to think about. They had a visit planned with his dad in a few days, and Hanbin was looking forward to being able to share the news with him in person. It would be the first time he'd gone to see his father in over six months, because the shame of it all had been a bit too much for him to bear. But he was ready for it now, ready to put it all past him and move on, ready to focus on making things better instead of letting thoughts linger on negative memories and emotions.

They took Hanbyul and made their way to Jinhwan's house, leaving Hanbyul with Jinhwan's sister to watch while they went to their meeting. Seiyeon greeted him with a hug and told him she'd saved Jinhwan's text message from that night, and Hanbin read it, smiling at the memory of the whole weekend.

They met with the others at the university's campus and Hanbin smiled extra hard when he saw Bobby, his heart thudding in his chest. He hadn't had a chance to get together with Minho yet and talk, so he had to beat down the urge to jump on Bobby and kiss him. They'd shared something this weekend that Hanbin couldn't reverse even if he wanted to, couldn't stop the feelings from manifesting and filling him up. But it would have to wait, and right now they had something more important to deal with anyway.

The meeting consisted of a brief lesson on what they'd actually found, and the coins Hanbin had grabbed had indeed been of Dutch origin, dating to the 17th century. They were still testing many of the other artifacts they'd brought up, but all in all they determined it to be an important discovery and all seven of them were presented with framed certificates acknowledging them as the finders, and framed along with their certificates was a Dutch gold coin, a memento they were allowed to keep.

An unexpected gift from the university came in the form of seven fully paid scholarships into whichever program they chose, the university's way of thanking them for bringing the discovery to their attention. Further than just the scholarships, though, the dean of the university also acknowledged the financial difficulties faced by their current school. The university's alumni society had decided to host a fundraiser to get the struggling school back in financial safety, and it would therefore not be closing its doors and forcing its students to relocate. It was more than they were prepared to accept, and after many tearful thank yous from both the boys and their parents, they were finally finished with their meetings and able to leave.

“Should we all go out for lunch to celebrate?” Bobby's mother asked, and everyone agreed, overjoyed at the gifts they'd received. They found enough room to accommodate them all at a ramen shop and soon they were seated, food on the way and happy conversation flowing.

“I can't believe they're saving our school,” Donghyuk said, voice still heavy with emotion, “we'll all still be together after all!”

“Yeah, I can't believe they did that! The scholarships was one thing, but I can't believe they arranged all of that.” Yunhyeong agreed.

“My football career is saved!” Bobby joked, and Hanbin smiled next to him, wondering what this next year was going to be like. There were going to be big changes in his personal life, and while he was excited for them, he was also a little scared of losing what he already had. Maybe things would go better than expected, though. The most important thing was that he wouldn't have to change schools again so soon.

“So unfortunate, I was actually looking forward to getting away from you losers finally,” Junhoe replied with a grin, laughing when Jinhwan punched his arm.

“Oh please, you probably would have cried the hardest if we'd all been separated,” Jinhwan retorted, “you're terrible at making friends.”

“Yeah, you'd be wailing for our attention on the weekends!” Chanwoo teased, dodging a kick from Junhoe under the table. “Did you tell Lisa about our discovery yet?”

Junhoe shook his head in irritation and was about to respond when his mother interrupted them.

“Who's Lisa?” Mrs. Koo asked, looking from Junhoe to Chanwoo and back again.

“Uh, she's a friend.” Junhoe answered, glaring at Chanwoo.

“Why is this the first I'm hearing about this friend?” She asked, and Junhoe flushed under her scrutinous gaze while Chanwoo tried not to laugh too hard.

“She's just a friend at school, mom!” Junhoe whined.

“Just a friend he's going on a date with!” Chanwoo let slip, and once again he dodged a kick from Junhoe.

Mrs. Koo shook her head and gave her son a disappointed look. “We'll talk about this later,” she turned her gaze to Chanwoo, who was still grinning. She leaned forward on the table and smiled at him conspiratorially. “Is she pretty?”

Chanwoo grinned back. “Gorgeous!”

Mrs. Koo just smiled and went back to her previous conversation, while Junhoe continued to glare a hole through Chanwoo's face.

Hanbin, on the other hand, was staring at his phone, trying to compose a message. He'd been ignoring Minho's texts for the whole morning, and while he had a good enough excuse for it with the meeting, he needed to figure out an answer. They hadn't been able to meet yet what with everything going on, and he was trying to figure out the best way to sort out a time.

Jinhwan, who was sitting beside him, shook his head and grabbed Hanbin's phone, annoyed at watching him flounder. “When are you free?” Jinhwan asked him, like he knew what Hanbin was trying to plan, and Hanbin supposed that it shouldn't be a big surprise that Jinhwan figured him out.

“Tonight?” Hanbin said with a twisting feeling in his gut. The sooner he got this over with, the better it would probably be, but it still kind of felt like it was too soon.

Jinhwan composed a reply to Minho's texts, being just vague enough about their meeting to make an easy conversation for Hanbin to start with when they did meet up later.

_'sorry meeting all morning at sna ;) free later?'_

He set the phone back down in front of Hanbin. “See how easy that was?”

Hanbin frowned and knew he was right, but there was just something about the looming finality of the situation that had him hesitant. Minho's reply was almost immediate and once again Jinhwan answered for him, arranging a break up date all on his own.

“You need me to come and talk to him for you face to face as well?” Jinhwan teased him.

“Oh shut up,” Hanbin fought back, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

“I'll make sure I'm not busy in case you need to FaceTime me!” Jinhwan carried on, and Hanbin made a decision then to firmly put the issue from his mind until it was time to go and meet him. He'd had enough stress lately, he couldn't let it impede in his ability to have a good time when everyone else was enjoying themselves.

~

“I still can't believe you actually found treasure,” Minho said, “I officially take back everything I've ever said on the subject.”

Hanbin grinned and shook his head. “Too late,” he replied, “the damage is already done.”

“Oh come on,” Minho whined, “I feel like a huge jerk! Let me make it up to you?” He slid his arm around Hanbin's shoulders, lips at his ear. “I'll do anything you want.”

Hanbin thought again about what he wanted, about the choices he'd made. He'd been with Minho for an hour already, and he had yet to bring up the conversation they needed to have. He kept putting it off, begging himself for just a little bit longer. He was being unfair, though, like always, and that just reinforced his decision.

Minho seemed to sense a shift in him when Hanbin didn’t answer and he pulled away a bit so he could study his face. “Bin-ah?” He asked, fingers light on Hanbin's neck, “you okay?”

Hanbin closed his eyes and tried to get a grip on himself. Time to go for the jugular, he supposed. “No, not really.” He looked up to meet Minho's gaze, giving himself one last chance to change his mind. _God, but didn't emotions absolutely suck!_ Even though he'd talked it all out with himself, and even though he was certain of what was best for him, he still loved him, in the end.

"We need to have a talk, don't we?" Minho's voice was soft as he spoke, and the way he looked at him had Hanbin certain that he knew exactly how their conversation was going to go.

Hanbin nodded, unable to speak. Even though he'd convinced himself that this was the right choice it didn't make it any easier.

Minho frowned and dropped his arm from Hanbin's shoulders. "I'm not blind, Hanbin, I think I know what's coming. I can see it on your face, you know. You’ve been trying to smile and laugh for the past hour, but the reality is that you haven't looked this scared of a conversation since your dad got arrested."

Hanbin was trying his best to keep his composure until he said what he needed to say, but the way Minho could read him and anticipate things just broke him. Even though he knew the end was coming, he still tried to go about it protectively, urging Hanbin on and prompting him when he couldn't make words come out of his own mouth. Always putting Hanbin ahead of himself.

"You're so much better to me than I am to you," Hanbin said, not wanting to cry but feeling the guilt eat its way up through his stomach. They'd been through so much together, how could he possibly end it? But he thought of Bobby's sneaker analogy, thought about all the fights, all the arguments.

“Ah, don't say that,” Minho replied.

“But it's true,” Hanbin said, “you always think about my feelings, and I never think about yours. You deserve something better than that.”

“I don't care about what I deserve,” Minho replied, “I care about what I want.”

“Well I care about what you deserve,” Hanbin said, “and you deserve better.”

“I don’t know what you think being with you is like, Bin, but it’s not anywhere near as bad as you’re making it sound. I love you, everything about you makes me happy.” Minho paused to press a kiss to Hanbin’s temple. “Why isn’t that enough for you?”  
  
“I don’t know, I just can’t help but feel guilty when I think about it. I don’t like the person I’ve become when I’m with you.” He was surprised when the words came out of his mouth but they were true—he was a different person around Minho. Selfish, jealous, manipulative… Things he never used to be.  
  
“Well, I like you when you’re with me. You aren’t that different.” Minho replied, kissing him again. But Hanbin didn’t react to it, just remained silent, and Minho took a steadying breath. "Please tell me you're not going to give me some, _it's not you, it's me_ line?" Minho said.

Hanbin laughed bitterly, because in all honesty that's exactly what it was, isn't it? "Maybe not in those words."

"Bin-ah," Minho whispered, tucking his nose into Hanbin's hair, "I want you to be happy, I used to make you happy, didn’t I?"

Hanbin squinted his eyes shut tightly and buried his head into Minho's shoulder. _Used to_ was the problem. Hanbin used to be unbelievably happy, but now? Fuck, he hadn't even said it yet, and he was already crying. How much worse was it going to get in just a moment?

“Hyung,” Hanbin drew a shaky breath, hands clutching at the hem of his shirt, “I'm not happy anymore.”

Silence swelled up between them and Hanbin couldn't even look at him, the guilt was far too strong. It stretched on for minutes, right until Minho broke it with a whisper.

“Why?”

Hanbin was stunned that one word could make everything that much more difficult. But he owed Minho an apology and a reason, at least, had to try and explain to him.  
  
“I’m sorry—”  
  
“I don’t want an apology, Hanbin,” Minho interrupted him, “I don’t care about an apology. Just tell me _why_. What did I do?”  
  
Hanbin sat up, steeling himself to give an explanation that he knew wouldn’t satisfy anything. “Nothing, honestly you didn’t do anything. It’s just that, after what happened with my dad, everything just felt different to me. Everything felt personal, everything always hurt—”  
  
“Was it all the teasing?” Minho asked.  
  
“No,” he started, but then realized that he wasn’t being entirely honest, “kind of? But here’s the thing—”  
  
“I would have stopped,” Minho interrupted again, “if I’d known it really bothered you, I would have stopped, I would have made everyone else stop.”  
  
“I know,” Hanbin said, “I know, it’s my fault, all of it.” Minho looked like he was going to interrupt again but Hanbin didn’t let him. “I started taking everything so personally, and I never talked to you about it, because I thought it was just my problem. I thought it was just on me to change.”  
  
“Hanbin, you had so much else going on, I would have understood. You didn’t even give me a chance to fix it.” Minho sounded hurt, and Hanbin had to pinch himself to keep from crying again. He was the one causing the grief right now, he didn’t deserve to be the one in tears.  
  
“I know,” Hanbin said, “I know and I’m sorry.”  
  
“Can’t we fix it now?” Minho asked. “Why is it so far gone that you’re just giving up?”  
  
“I just can’t, it’s hard to explain.” Hanbin paused to collect his thoughts, his fingers finding and closing around Minho’s hand. How could he explain it other than using Bobby’s sneaker analogy? “I just feel like I’ve changed so much, and I let it go for so long that I just can’t see a way to fix it. It doesn’t matter if you do things differently, because you’re not the problem. It’s me, I’m the problem, I’m not happy with myself. I’m not happy when I’m with you, not the way I know I could be.” Not the way he felt at certain points of the weekend with Bobby, easy and subconscious happiness.  
  
Minho didn’t say anything in response to that, just sat in silence, and Hanbin waited.  
  
“This weekend, on the beach, I should have seen it. I felt like something was off, but, I thought it was just because of Bobby.” Hanbin stiffened at Bobby’s name, though he didn’t mean to, and he hoped that Minho wouldn’t notice. He did notice, though. “How did Bobby manage to convince you to spend the weekend out on _our_ island, anyway? I never did get an answer about that. You put me off all month, and then you go with him?”  
  
Hanbin swallowed nervously, his mouth dry suddenly. “It was his brother’s idea, actually.”  
  
“Oh right,” Minho replied, “I remember Jinan saying that. Lured you out with pirate treasure.”  
  
“Yeah, couldn’t resist.” Hanbin replied.  
  
“Was that night the final straw for you? Did you go back with your friends and listen to Bobby tell you how you shouldn’t let your boyfriend treat you like that?”

Hanbin couldn’t reply. It wasn’t true, but there was more to it that made it seem just as bad.  
  
“He kept staring at you the whole night, I wasn’t sure why. Every time I’d glance in his direction, his eyes were on us, on you. For a second there I almost thought he had a thing for you.”  
  
Hanbin didn’t respond, even though he felt like this was it, this was the opportunity to bridge the conversation. He couldn’t walk away from Minho without telling him. He couldn’t take the chance of him finding out from someone else.  
  
“I mean, fuck, now that I think about it, there were rumours about Bobby a while ago, I remember hearing it from Jiho when I made the varsity team. _Eh Mino, not gonna be the only gay quarterback in the league!_ I figured it was typical posturing bullshit at the time.”  
  
“It wasn’t.” Hanbin held his breath after saying it, waiting for the truth to settle.  
  
“What do you mean?” Minho looked at him then, and Hanbin didn’t want to look back, didn’t want to meet his gaze. He knew what would be there, knew what he’d see. “Hanbin? What do you mean?”  
  
“He’s not gay, he’s just,” Hanbin paused, wished he’d gone about this another way because didn’t it sound unbearably suspicious right now? “He’s bi, he’s into both. He did have a boyfriend once.”  
  
Minho slumped down a bit, like the air had gone out of him completely, like he was a robot powered down. Seconds later though and he was upright again and looking at Hanbin, his expression pained. “Hanbin, be honest with me, you and Bobby?”  
  
Hanbin met his eyes and shook his head because while the answer was partially _yes Bobby and I_ it wasn’t quite what Minho thought it was. “I didn’t know until this weekend, actually. Not until after the beach, oddly enough.”  
  
“So he did say something to you?” Minho answered, voice now just as pained as his expression and it broke Hanbin’s heart.  
  
“No! He didn’t say anything,” at least not at that moment, “it was Jinhwan, actually. I, uh, I went for a walk with Jinhwan after we got back.”  
  
“To complain about me?” Minho asked, and Hanbin felt guilty about it but he nodded because he’d lied for so long that he couldn’t anymore.  
  
“That’s when he told me about Bobby. That he liked guys.”  
  
Minho looked away then. “That he liked you.”  
  
“That he liked me.” Hanbin waited again, hoped Minho wasn’t jumping to conclusions that weren’t true. Part of him wanted to explain everything right away, to not let Minho go until he knew every little detail. But that would just seem defensive, and Hanbin was tired of being defensive.  
  
“And you?” Minho asked him, eyes suddenly back on Hanbin. “You like him back, don’t you?”  
  
Hanbin held his gaze, forced himself to watch Minho’s expression fall apart as he silently nodded, admitting the reality of the situation. Minho looked away again and Hanbin tried to stop himself from crying but couldn’t.  
  
“Fuck, Hanbin, can you maybe not cry right now?” Minho said, and Hanbin could hear the strain in his voice, could hear the tears that Minho was trying to keep at bay.  
  
“I’m sorry, it’s just,” Hanbin struggled to decide on what he should say at the moment, because he thought that what he needed to say was probably not what Minho needed to hear, but he’d been selfish all along their relationship anyway, maybe it would only serve to prove his point right now, about why this was the best thing for them to do. “I love you, I still love you, but I just don’t think being with you is good for me anymore.”  
  
Minho’s hand shot up to wipe at his eyes, tears glistening on his fingertips. “Are you gonna date Bobby?”  
  
Hanbin was grateful to him for asking, because even though it was painful, Hanbin didn’t want Minho to find out from someone else, and he wasn’t sure if he’d have had the strength to bring it up himself. “Yeah.”  
  
Minho took a few deep breaths in and out, and Hanbin tried not to cry as he watched him struggle. Minho was trying to handle it as gracefully as possible, when all Hanbin wanted to do was break down.  
  
“Well, I guess you could do worse. I hate to say it but I thought he seemed alright Friday night on the beach. Anyone who offers to fight Jaewon can’t be all bad, right?” Minho grinned at him, and it was half amused and half tearful but Hanbin appreciated it all the same.  
  
“Yeah, that’s a good basis I think.” They just stared in silence at each other for a bit, and Hanbin wanted to ask if they could still be friends, wanted to beg for Minho not to hate him. But he’d already asked for enough. He couldn’t ask for more.  
  
“Did you tell Taehyun yet?” Minho asked him, and Hanbin shook his head. He didn’t know what he was going to tell Taehyun, because talking to him about emotional subjects was always difficult.

Then, of course, there was the whole problem of Taehyun being close to the both of them. Whose side would he take? Were there even sides? Hanbin didn’t want there to be sides, but it wasn’t exactly on him anymore.

“So we’re divorcing, and you haven’t even told our kid?” Minho tried to joke.  
  
“We can have joint custody, right?” Hanbin replied, joking back but not wanting it to be a joke.  
  
“I think we’ll have to or he’ll ditch both of us.”  
  
Hanbin felt a little better with the answer. Did it mean Minho wasn’t going to hate him? “I think we’re safe. It's not like he has anyone else. We're the only two who put up with him.”  
  
Minho let out the tiniest laugh and Hanbin held onto it like a life preserver. “True, so I guess we’re bound for life, huh?” Minho didn’t look at him, but he didn’t sound angry, and Hanbin wanted to answer that they were, wanted to say that he’d always have feelings for him. But he didn’t, because it wouldn’t make anything better. Not now, not ever.

~  
  
Taehyun stared down at his phone, a mixture of different feelings surfacing—anger, sadness, disappointment, disbelief—but there was also a bit of relief, a bit of gratefulness that finally this whole mess was _over_. It didn’t really make it any easier though.  
  
 _'broke_ _up w mino. i know ur gonna b pissed at me but can u make sure hes ok?_ ’  
  
He partially felt pissed off because Hanbin hadn’t told him face to face, but at the same time he knew why. Taehyun was terrible when it came to relating on an emotional level. He had no problem admitting that. When Hanbin had told him about his dad’s arrest, had cried in Taehyun’s bedroom about it all, Taehyun hadn’t said a single word, hadn’t even hugged him. He’d just listened and then when Hanbin was done he’d told him to stop crying because it made him even uglier.  
  
That was just how his personality worked and Hanbin understood it. If he wanted someone to cry to, he went to Jinhwan. If he wanted someone to listen and then move on, he came to Taehyun.  
  
He’d had a feeling they had been on the rocks for a while, though, Hanbin and Minho. Despite pretending to not pay attention, Taehyun was pretty good at reading Hanbin, good at noticing when he was annoyed and irritated, at least (which probably came from a lifetime of teasing each other and pushing buttons). Something had seemed off about Hanbin for a while, and slowly over time he’d started complaining about Minho, highlighting behaviour that he’d never found weird before.  
  
Taehyun hadn’t said anything, though, nothing except his usual barrage of cold retorts: _"I_ _f I had a million won for every time I pretended to care about your relationships woes I’d still be poor, Hanbin, because I can’t even fake giving a fuck!_ ”  
  
But he’d figured something was up.  
  
Taehyun sighed and threw his phone down on his bed, not even bothering to respond to Hanbin. He’d see the little _read @ 8:32pm_ notification and know that Taehyun had gone to do his dirty work for him.  
  
He found Minho sitting alone in his backyard drinking a beer and looking up at the stars. Taehyun approached him and crossed his arms over his chest while he looked down.  
  
“If we’re gonna talk about this, I need a beer.”  
  
Minho looked up at him with an annoyed expression, like Taehyun was intruding—which he technically was because Minho hadn’t asked him to come over—before his features softened and he pointed at the cooler by his feet.  
  
“Help yourself.”  
  
Taehyun leaned down to retrieve a bottle before sitting down next to Minho. God, he was _terrible_ at this. Didn’t know where to start.  
  
“So, are you okay?” That was a terrible start because Minho obviously wasn’t okay, but Taehyun couldn’t afford to be picky at the moment.  
  
Minho didn’t answer, just turned his head to look at him. “Why are you here, Taehyun?”  
  
 _Ugh_. Was he going to have to emotionally compromise himself?  
  
“Because you’re one of my best friends, and my other best friend is a fucking coward, apparently.” That got an unexpected smile out of him, and Taehyun wanted to ask why, wanted to know the details. But he also didn’t want to, because details made things messy and complicated.  
  
“Did he tell you much?” Minho asked, because he knew what they were like with each other.  
  
“Nope. Just told me he broke up with you.”  
  
Minho was quiet for a moment and Taehyun took a sip of his beer, feeling awkward.  
  
“Did he tell you to come and bother me?” Minho asked.  
  
“No,” Taehyun replied, “he told me to make sure you were okay.”  
  
“Same thing.” Minho replied, taking a sip of his beer.  
  
“Oh come on,” Taehyun replied, “you know I’m not good at this stuff, but no need to be mean,” he teased.  
  
“Did you know?” Minho asked him, taking Taehyun by surprise.  
  
“Know what?”  
  
“That he wasn’t happy?” It almost sounded like an accusation to Taehyun. “I know you like to act like you don’t notice things, but he’s your best friend.”  
  
Taehyun sighed and took another sip. “I thought he seemed like something was bothering him lately, but I figured it was just life, you know? Family stuff? I honestly didn’t think he’d ever break up with you.”  
  
“No?” Minho gave him a questioning look and Taehyun cursed himself for saying it.  
  
“I know I’m not an expert on love or anything, but it was easy to see. Any time he looked at you or said your name he got that stupid look on his face that made me want to gag myself.” It used to make Taehyun annoyed, the way Hanbin’s entire demeanour would change when he talked about Minho. “It’s the same stupid look you’re wearing right now, actually.”  
  
To Taehyun’s surprise Minho’s face lost that temporary look of happiness and he quickly looked away. The moment he heard the first sniffle out of his friend, Taehyun winced.  
  
“I guess I shouldn’t have said that, huh?”  
  
Minho didn’t answer, but Taehyun saw enough in his shaking arms and downtrodden posture. _Fuck_. He was going to kill Hanbin for this, regardless of what the reason was.  
  
For now, though, he simply reached into the cooler and got them both another beer and sat down next to Minho, slinging an arm around his shoulders. He’d do what he could for Minho, which he knew wasn’t really much, but someone needed to be here for him, and Taehyun knew that he was probably the only one Minho would accept right now.

~

“Hey, Bobby,” Hanbin greeted, his fingers tight around his phone, “you busy?”

“Nope, I'm totally free!” Bobby replied, wondering if Hanbin was finally able to give him an answer. They'd been back for nearly five days now, and he was trying to wait patiently for Hanbin to talk with Minho. He kept thinking about the situation, about how badly he wanted Hanbin to come to the conclusion that he'd be better off putting an end to his old relationship in favour of a new one. But he had to respect whatever decision Hanbin had decided, even if it wasn't the one he wanted.

“Good,” Hanbin said, and he wasn't sure why he was feeling so nervous but he could barely get the words out. “Can I come over?”

“Yeah, of course you can!” Bobby answered, heart hammering in his chest.

“Okay, cool, I'll be there in a bit.” Hanbin hung up and Bobby felt like he might combust if he had to wait any longer.

“Who was that?” Chanwoo asked, coming out of the kitchen with a bag of chips.

“Hanbin,” Bobby answered, and Chanwoo smirked knowingly at Bobby's stupid smile.

“Did you guys figure shit out yet?” Chanwoo asked, sitting on the couch.

Bobby really hoped he wasn't blushing at the question. “Nope, not yet.”

“Hoping that's the plan right now?” Chanwoo asked, amused at his brother's shy response.

“Hoping.” Bobby answered, and it felt _weird_ to be discussing this so openly with Chanwoo. On the other hand, it was good that Chanwoo knew, Bobby was sure it would make it that much easier for him to tell their parents when that time came.

“Cool. Well, for what it's worth, I hope you get the answer you want.” Chanwoo grinned when Bobby blushed again, surprised he wasn't being threatened with bodily harm yet.

“Okay honestly, that's enough,” Bobby whined, feeling just a bit uncomfortable with the conversation.

“What, I can't wish my hyung a happy relationship?” Chanwoo teased, amused at Bobby's reaction.

“Chanu-ya!” Bobby whined, a further comment interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. Bobby bolted for the door, peering out through the peephole and seeing that it was Hanbin. He took a deep breath and reminded himself to accept whatever Hanbin was here to tell him, then opened the door.

“Hey, hyung,” Hanbin greeted him with a smile, and Bobby smiled back.

“Hey, Bin-ah, you wanna come in?”

Hanbin's smile faltered for a moment, but came back before he answered. “Actually, I was hoping maybe we could go for a walk?”

Bobby nodded, his chest tightening in nervous anxiety. “Yeah, sure, let me get my shoes.” He retreated back into the house to grab the nearest pair of sneakers, pulling them on as Chanwoo waved to Hanbin from the couch. “I'm going out, Chanu, don't do anything stupid while I'm gone.”

“I'll try not to injure myself,” Chanwoo replied, grinning as he watched a nervous Bobby fumble with his house keys, “you do the same.”

Bobby didn't respond to the teasing, simply shaking his head and joining Hanbin outside, pulling the door closed behind himself. “Where do you wanna go?”

“Just to the park, I guess,” Hanbin answered, and he led the way, Bobby walking next to him, wondering if things were nervous between them because Hanbin wasn't here to give him the news he so desperately wanted?

Hanbin was quiet on the way there, and he really hoped Bobby wasn't jumping to negative conclusions right now. He didn't know why he was having such a difficult time with this, why he was being eaten from the inside out by tension. While he was still sad after breaking up with Minho the day before, he knew he was making the right decision. So why did he still feel like he had something to fear?

They made it to the park and sat down, and Hanbin took a deep breath before looking at Bobby. He remembered everything from the weekend—the flirty advances at the waterfall, the climb up the tree, gazing out at stars from the tree top. He remembered his break down in the gorge and their chat up on the ridge, and it was crazy to think about how much everything had changed in such a short span of time.

Bobby turned his head to meet Hanbin's gaze and Hanbin just stared at him, unblinking, and finally Bobby spoke.

“Have you talked to Minho?” He was desperate for an answer and he didn't know how to read Hanbin at the moment.

Hanbin nodded, but he didn't say anything. Bobby waited, gave him time, but when Hanbin still didn't say anything Bobby prompted him. “And? What did you decide?”

“I broke up with him.” There, it was out, it was final, there was no taking it back. Hanbin felt a weird sense of finality after saying it out loud, felt like his brain wasn’t able to fully acknowledge the choice he’d made until now.  
  
“That’s good!” Bobby replied instinctively, not fully realizing what he said until Hanbin grinned at him. “Wait! Wow, that sounded really cold.”  
  
Hanbin was surprised to find himself laughing about it, but he was, and he couldn’t stop.  
  
Bobby was taken aback by the laughter, confused at the reaction. “Hanbin? Can you stop laughing, please? Or at least fill me in on what’s so funny?”  
  
Hanbin tried, bit the inside of his mouth to try and stifle it. Maybe he’d just been so tense since the breakup that he needed the physical release, needed a way to get rid of all the nervous energy bundled up in his chest. “I’m sorry, it’s not really funny? Well it shouldn’t be. I just, I’ve just been upset since yesterday.”  
  
Bobby softened his expression and reached out, laying a hand on Hanbin’s arm. “Are you okay?” He knew it had probably been rough on him, knew that despite breaking up, Hanbin probably still had feelings for him. It was going to be a bit of a messy situation, he understood that, but Bobby wasn’t exactly the most organized person to begin with, so he didn’t mind. Hanbin was worth it.  
  
Hanbin nodded, finding comfort in Bobby’s gesture and question. He understood, at least, and that meant the world to Hanbin. “I’m okay, I just needed a day to mope about it.”  
  
“I understand,” Bobby replied, “but are you sure you’re okay? Do you need more moping time?”  
  
Hanbin grinned at the question and shook his head. “No, it won’t make me feel any better.” And it wouldn’t, no matter how much the guilt still pulled at him. He needed to move on because he’d spent the past few months hanging on when he shouldn’t have.  
  
“What will make you feel better?” Bobby asked, his fingers rubbing softly against Hanbin’s arm, and he could feel the excitement bouncing between them now that Hanbin was smiling. Bobby’s pulse was racing, his heart pumping hard in his chest. They’d already kissed once, but he had a feeling that their next one would wipe the first from his memories. It hadn’t really been his, anyway, not at that point in time.  
  
Hanbin looked down at Bobby’s hand and smiled, and when he looked up to meet his eyes again he felt his breath catch in his throat, because it felt right, despite everything. Bobby felt right.  
  
“Kiss me?” Hanbin asked, and Bobby smiled softly back at him, his expression incredibly fond, and Hanbin shivered when he felt Bobby’s fingers touch his cheek and slide over his jaw until he could hook a finger under Hanbin’s chin and tilt his face back slightly. It took a few seconds for their lips to meet, like they both wanted to savour the moment as long as possible, but when they finally did Hanbin closed his eyes and felt like everything was aligning again, like he was coming back on course after being steered off for so long.  
  
Bobby felt like he might pass out from the sheer excitement of it all, felt like he’d been holding his breath all day until this moment, and now the sudden rush of oxygen back into his system was overloading everything. He tried to slow his brain down, wanted to focus and remember it all, but it was so hard, because kissing Hanbin, _his_ Hanbin (not someone else’s anymore) was so consuming.  
  
Hanbin’s own fingers were playing over Bobby’s cheeks now, exploring the skin and looking for signs, for hints about what he liked, what he wanted. He explored Bobby’s mouth in the same way, tongue softly probing and it was actually a little weird but Hanbin, who was so used to being the one who followed, kind of felt like he was the one leading at the moment, even though he’d offered that role to Bobby.  
  
Bobby felt the shift, felt everything slow down when Hanbin’s fingers trailed over his face. Hanbin’s kisses were as calm as his touches and it was exactly what Bobby needed, confidently slow movements.  
  
Hanbin pulled back and Bobby pouted, but seconds later Hanbin was standing up and swinging a leg over Bobby’s lap, sitting on his knees and leaning forward to kiss him again. Bobby slid his arms around Hanbin’s back and tilted his own head to meet Hanbin’s lips again, and this time everything crawled just as slowly as Bobby wanted it to, taking its time and lingering, and Bobby had never felt happier in his life.

~

It was the end of the fourth quarter, the score of the game currently tied at 21-21. Ten seconds left with home possession. Fourth down, thirty yards out. Bobby shut his eyes and prayed furiously for a miracle.

Seconds later and he was receiving the snap, straightening up and backing away, eyes scanning his players, widening when he saw Jooheon successfully evade his cornerback. Bobby sent a pass sailing directly into Jooheon's path, roaring his delight when his receiver caught it and took off for the end zone, outstripping the two safeties. The clock ran out as Jooheon carried the ball into the opposition's end zone, spiking it in celebration.

Bobby cheered along with the rest of the team, overjoyed at their successful opening game of the season. While everyone else ran to meet Jooheon in the end zone, Bobby ran over to the stands instead, tossing his helmet to the side and running for the figure who stood waiting for him.

Hanbin braced himself for impact, since Bobby was running fast and wearing his full gear, but Bobby had the good sense to slow himself down, suddenly remembering that Hanbin wasn't wearing full protective football pads. Bobby picked him up and swung him around, kissed him in front of the crowd. Hanbin swatted at his face, flustered at the overt showing of affection. He was used to it in front of their friends, but this was a game, with the school and families watching, and he hadn't anticipated that Bobby was actually going to kiss him.

It was nice, though. Nice to be open and not hide it, nice to know that people didn't really care too much because of what they'd accomplished a mere few weeks ago. After all--Hanbin was the reason they all still had a school to attend. They could afford an affectionate display in front of the crowd.

Bobby dropped him back to his feet and cupped Hanbin's face in his hands, kissing him softly on the forehead before running back out to celebrate with his teammates. Hanbin remained standing, already hearing the catcalls behind him and not really wanting to turn and face them. Or at least not until he was sure he’d stopped blushing. Instead he felt arms sliding around him from the back and he heard teasing in his ears but none of it mattered.  
  
He’d take all the teasing in the world for this, to be surrounded by friends, watching his boyfriend celebrate a victory. This was all he needed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter left after this, because I love ridiculously happy endings where everything works out!


	16. Epilogue 2: Ex-Boyfriends and Best Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this thing is finally over? A big thank you to everyone who's given this story love over the course of its life. It's all very appreciated. ♥♥♥
> 
> Just a note: This second epilogue is mainly going to focus on Hanbin. There's a lot of things he had to clear up in his head, a lot of unresolved feelings. This chapter addresses all of that. There's unfortunately not much of Chanu/June/Dong/Yoyo in this chapter, but their story was over already. Instead there's a lot of Hanbin, Bobby, Jinhwan, Taehyun, and Minho (Zico/Jiho even squirmed his way in for a scene).
> 
> I do have a sequel planned for this! It'll be OT7 + their friends, and it'll be another adventure type of story. Not sure when I'll get started on it, but it's gonna come one day. Just wanted to let you guys know! ♥♥♥

It was early October, nearly a month and a half after the adventure on Kony's Island had wrapped up, and Hanbin was currently sitting in his room trying to finish his calculus homework, but distraction came in the form of a crumpled up ball of paper hitting him in the head. He glanced up from his textbook and levelled a glare at his company.

“Can you not give me ten minutes to finish this?”

Taehyun waved an impatient hand at Hanbin. “You said that ten minutes ago!”

“I did not,” Hanbin replied, “it was three minutes at most.”

“Then you have seven minutes left, so get to it!” Taehyun replied, crumpling up another sheet of paper.

“Stop wasting my paper!” Hanbin yelled at him, wondering if he ought to just leave the last two questions for later. Taehyun wasn't exactly the best at amusing himself quietly when bored.

“I'll replace it,” Taehyun sarcastically replied, forming another ball, this one smaller and harder than the last. He had every intention of whipping it at his best friend's head, punishment for making him wait.

Hanbin watched him and decided to put the work off for now. He could do it tomorrow morning if he didn't get around to it before going to sleep. “Alright, fine! Look, I'm putting it away!” He closed his textbook over, pushing it away from him on the desk. “I swear, you're more impatient than Hanbyul, and she's five.”

“Thank you!” Taehyun replied, grinning at his little victory.

“You're welcome? It wasn't exactly a compliment.”

Taehyun grinned and got to his feet. “Any victory is still a victory!” He led Hanbin out of his room and towards the front door, stooping to put his shoes on while Hanbin stopped in the kitchen.

“Going out for a bit mom, be back later.” Hanbin leaned down to kiss his mother's cheek.

“Can you pick up some milk for your sister on the way back?” His mom asked.

“Yeah sure, no problem.” He moved to his sister's chair next, leaning down to hug her. “You be good for mom! I won't be back until after you're in bed, so have a good sleep, princess!” He kissed her cheek and she squirmed but allowed it, catching his sleeve and tugging on his arm until he leaned back down to accept a kiss from her.

“Goodnight Mrs. Kim!” Taehyun yelled from the door, “goodnight Hanbyul!”

Hanbin whispered in his sister's ear and she giggled back before yelling to Taehyun. “Goodnight unnie!”

Taehyun leaned around the door to peer into the kitchen, scrunching his face up as he looked at Hanbyul. “What did you just call me?”

Hanbin grinned and ruffled his sister's hair. “It's the long blonde hair, Taehyun, it's very confusing.”

“You look like a Barbie!” Hanbyul said with a squeal.

Taehyun frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. “Barbie is pretty though, right? So you think I'm pretty?” He asked her, and she shook her head.

“You're an ugly Barbie!” She replied, and Hanbin kissed her again.

“Good girl, Hanbyul!” He brushed past a still frowning Taehyun to slip his shoes on. After another round of yelled goodbyes they slipped out of the house.

“Wanna go get some ddeokbokki?” Hanbin asked, and Taehyun frowned.

“Hanbin, why are you tempting me? You know I can't eat shit right now,” Taehyun whined, “stupid football diet.”

“I don't understand why they'd make you do it,” Hanbin replied, “you're practically skinnier than I am!”

“Yeah, it's bullshit,” Taehyun agreed, “so we gonna get some from our regular guy?”

“What do you mean, we?” Hanbin replied. “I thought you couldn't have any!”

“Do you honestly think I'd just stand around watching you eat?” Taehyun replied, “we're having damn ddeokbokki but we'll have to hide while eating it cause you just never know when someone might come walking around the corner!”

Hanbin laughed and led the way to their usual vendor, pausing when Taehyun waved a bill in his face. Taehyun rolled his eyes and shoved the bill into Hanbin's fingers. “I'm buying your silence along with the food,” Taehyun sarcastically said, “and I can't go to the vendor myself in case someone sees me, so go buy and meet me back here.” He sat down on concrete steps in the shadows of a tall apartment complex. “Go! Get me a drink too.”

Hanbin shook his head and went to get their food, grateful that Taehyun had his own way of insisting on paying that didn't really make things awkward. It wasn't that Hanbin didn't have any money at all (his mom's store had picked up again and she'd been able to hire back the worker she'd lost a few months ago) but after growing up rich, it was hard to adjust to not being rich.

He brought the food back to Taehyun and sat down next to him, amused when his best friend kept looking around before eating.

“Hey, don't make any plans for Saturday night.” Taehyun told him after chewing on a rice cake.

“Why not?” Hanbin looked at him curiously.

“Beach party, and I've been told that you have to come. Jiho's back in town and wants to see everyone!” Taehyun uncapped the Pepsi Hanbin had also bought and took a sip.

Hanbin's face lit up at the news. “Jiho? Seriously? Fuck yeah, I'm there.” While he was honestly excited to see Jiho again (it had been over a year since the last time, what with Jiho having moved away for university) it was a little nerve-wracking as well, because Jiho was very close with Minho. Did Jiho really want to see Hanbin after what had gone down? Hanbin hoped he would, because it wasn't like he and Minho were on terrible terms. Awkward terms, perhaps, but, they still talked occasionally.

Taehyun reached for another rice cake, pausing before picking it up. “He wants you to bring Bobby.”

Hanbin choked on the swig of Pepsi he'd just taken. “He what?” Now Hanbin was feeling just a little nervous. He liked Jiho, had always gotten along with him well. But it didn't cover the fact that Jiho had a bit of a temper and was known for his aggressive attitude. Surely he wouldn't invite them just to start shit, would he?

Taehyun chewed on the rice cake and grinned at Hanbin's nervous response. “Yeah, Jiho wants to meet him, make sure he passes the test.” Taehyun winked at him and grabbed the bottle before going on. “Said he won't stand for you dating someone unworthy, even though you did break his little bro's heart.”

“Ah, seriously, Tae?” Hanbin whined. Ever since Hanbin had broken up with Minho, Taehyun always found a way to bring him up in conversation. Usually it involved guilting Hanbin for breaking up with him.

“Just sayin,” Taehyun replied, grinning at Hanbin's irritation, “so make sure Bobby can come too. Bring Jinan as well, I haven't seen that asshole in a while and I miss him.”

“Fine, I'll bring them both.” Hanbin replied, because he had a feeling that he was going to need them, especially if Minho was going to be there. Not that Taehyun had said anything yet, but Minho always went wherever Jiho went, so it was only to be expected.

“By the way, there's someone else you need to meet too,” Taehyun said, cautious eyes on Hanbin as he went on, “we got a transfer student on the team, guy moved here from Busan. Same age as us, he's a runningback.”

Hanbin nodded, a nervous feeling in his gut because he knew where Taehyun was going with this and the truth was that he was terrified of his feelings. He knew Minho wouldn't stay single for long, but it seemed so soon for him to move on already. Hanbin knew it was a horrible move of hypocrisy, but he couldn't stop the feelings no matter how hard he tried.

“Jeon Jungkook. I've had to awkwardly endure those two flirting for the past few weeks!” Taehyun went on, popping another rice cake in his mouth.

Hanbin's stomach cramped at the comment and he had to will himself not to overreact. “I didn't think Jiho was into guys.” Hanbin joked, even though he knew exactly who Taehyun meant.

“Not Jiho, you idiot! You know I'm talking about Minho.” Taehyun paused to give Hanbin a chance to react. When he remained silent Taehyun carried on. “You'd actually really like Jungkook, now that I think about it. He's fuckin' stacked.”

Hanbin narrowed his eyes at him, reaching for more food. “Really, Tae?”

Taehyun grinned and pulled the tray of ddeokbokki out of reach. “What? I'm just stating facts! I know you, Hanbin, I know your taste in guys. You like dumb jocks with big muscles.”

“I do not!” Hanbin whined, punching Taehyun's arm before pulling it closer so he could grab another rice cake.

“Are you seriously arguing with me? Look at who you've dated! That American dude had crazy muscles--”

“He was a rower, of course he did, that's not why I liked him!”

Taehyun ignored his interruption and carried on. “Then you dated Minho, football quarterback, and now you're with Bobby, _football quarterback_. What part of dumb jock are you disagreeing with?”

“They're not _dumb_ ,” Hanbin weakly fought back around a mouthful of food.

“Yeah well none of them are gonna make the Dean's List either. You like dating guys way below your intelligence level, admit it. You like being the smart one in the relationship.”

Hanbin grabbed the Pepsi and took a swig before replying. “I'm the smart one in _our_ relationship.”

Taehyun ignored the jab. “You like dating big strong warrior types to protect your little bitchy prince ass, admit it!”

“Are you calling me a prince?” Hanbin asked, eyebrows raised.

Taehyun nodded. “Yeah you're total royalty. Ruling over your kingdom of garbage.”

Hanbin didn't hesitate before snapping back. “What does that make you? My court jester?”

“I rule over the opposite kingdom, where dudes are straight.” Taehyun replied.

“Oh so my kingdom is just gay?” Hanbin asked, grinning as Taehyun took another swig of Pepsi.

“Yep! The gayest of the gay. Fancy Fagtown!” Taehyun reached for another rice cake, sucking it into his mouth.

Hanbin waited until Taehyun was chewing before replying. “You know, for a straight virgin you sure like sucking on cylindrical objects.” Taehyun turned his head to spit the half-chewed ddeokbokki out, laughing while coughing on the part he'd started to swallow.

Hanbin grinned and ate the last one, sitting back and licking the sauce from his fingers and watching Taeheyun struggle to breathe. “All that sucking tonight, who are you practising for?”

“Shut up, Hanbin!” Taehyun replied, laughing so hard he was crying. Hanbin uncapped the Pepsi and handed it to him, watching in silence while Taehyun swallowed and tried to contain his laughter. After finishing Taehyun reached for his wallet and took out another bill. “Here, go get us another round.”

Hanbin took it and stood up. “What about your diet, for real?”

“Man, fuck the diet!” Taehyun replied, finishing the Pepsi.

“Might as well, cause it's not like you have anything else to be fucking!” Hanbin replied, laughing in victory and dodging the bottle that Taehyun threw at him. He came back a few minutes later with more ddeokbokki and another Pepsi.

“So, tell me about this Jungkook,” Hanbin asked as he sat back down. Best to get used to the idea now before the party.

Taehyun reached for the food before answering. “You know, you could always ask Minho about him.”

Hanbin frowned. “Oh, no, that would, no. Awkward.” He wasn't quite ready for that just yet.

“Come on, Hanbin, don't be like that. He'd totally tell you about him.”

“Ah, I don't know.” Hanbin knew it would be a nice gesture, and it would probably mean the world to Minho, who would understand the gesture for what it really was.

Taehyun frowned and wasn't about to let him off the hook. “Come on, Hanbin, you're the one who wanted to stay friends with him so bad. So stop being a little bitch and be Minho's friend.”

Hanbin knew he was right, but still... He had a difficult enough time as it was making small talk with Minho (which was _stupid_ because he had so much to tell him about these days) but the idea of asking him about his new love interest was just beyond Hanbin's scope of ability.

Taehyun studied him for a moment in silence and Hanbin could feel the probe of his eyes. He had no doubt that Taehyun was seeing everything he was desperately trying to hide.

“Kim _fucking_ Hanbin,” Taehyun said suddenly, and Hanbin knew he was screwed, “are you _jealous_?”

“No,” Hanbin replied, looking irritated for effect.

Taehyun viewed him with wide open eyes,a shocked expression he rarely ever wore. “You are! You don't get to be jealous, Hanbin. _You_ broke up with him! This is your doing.”

Hanbin looked away, not wanting to admit the feelings for what they were. “I'm not jealous.”

Taehyun wasn't about to let it go. “Bullshit. I've known you since you were a kid, you can't hide anything from me. You're super jealous that Minho's moving on.”

Hanbin struggled with the comment, not wanting to admit it. “I'm not _jealous_ , Taehyun, I just, I miss him.”

Taehyun let out a snort of laughter. “Thought you were happy with Bobby?”

Hanbin looked at him with narrowed eyes. “I AM! God, you can have feelings for more than one person at a time, you know.”

“Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Isn't that how you got yourself in this mess to begin with?”

Hanbin looked away again, hurt at the words. But that was the way Taehyun operated, with no filter. “Fuck off. You wouldn't understand anyway. You've never been in love with anyone before.”

“Bullshit. I've been in love with myself my entire life, I know exactly what it feels like.” Their eyes met and Taehyun looked so serious after making his comment that Hanbin couldn't help but laugh about it. It was exactly what he needed at the moment, though, disarming and understanding in Taehyun's way.

“Alright, fine, you win. I _am_ jealous. I don't mean to be, but, I can't help it. It's not like I want him to stay single forever, though. I want him to be happy. It's just harder than I thought it would be.” Hanbin frowned and hoped that was enough to appease Taehyun.

“You disgust me sometimes,” Taehyun replied, and Hanbin grinned at his dramatic tone, “lucky for you though I have a high tolerance for disgusting behaviour.”

“Obviously, I mean you do have to live with yourself every day.” Hanbin replied and that was enough to get them over the hump, back to conversational banter and food, and Taehyun gave Hanbin just enough details about Jungkook to appease a bit of Hanbin's curiosity while igniting a need for more.

* * *

“Mom, is it okay if I see dad alone? Just for a bit?” It was Wednesday afternoon and Hanbin was out of class on a note from his mother for _family reasons_. They were going to visit his father, approval granted for a special non-weekend visitation. Hanbin still hadn't seen him since the discovery, though he'd been meaning to go for weeks. Finally the guilt had risen high enough for him to plan a visit.

“Of course, we have an hour, if you want part of that for yourself, it's okay.”

Hanbin hugged her, grateful that she understood without too much explanation. It was weird, but even though his mother knew details about his relationship status he didn't want to burden her with concerns. His dad had always been good when it came to cutting through emotions and getting to the underlying problems, and Hanbin really needed to sort out this whole jealousy thing over Minho moving on. Maybe he felt more comfortable talking to his dad because he could unload everything and not have to worry about seeing the concern on his face every day.

A little cruel to his dad, maybe, but given the circumstances Hanbin was willing to take the chance.

His mother didn't ask what he wanted to talk to his father about and Hanbin didn't offer, instead she just hugged him at the door and told him he had thirty minutes alone before she joined them. Hanbin went in to the meeting room alone, nervous and jittery.

It was a weird mixture of relief and guilt that came over him when he finally saw him. His dad looked the same as he remembered from the last time, nearly eight months ago, and the moment their eyes met Hanbin saw nothing but warmth in his father's gaze. He'd been worried there would be a hint of anger, of disappointment at being ignored for so long. There was none of that, though, and Hanbin bit the inside of his cheek because suddenly his eyes were heavy with tears that he really didn't want to cry.

Hanbin walked slowly over to the table where his father sat, and he stood awkwardly at the side, waiting for a cue. But he realized suddenly that his father was the one waiting on Hanbin. His father showed no expectation or entitlement to affection, just patience to let his son decide how their meeting would start. That just made him feel guiltier and he tried to speak but all that came out was a shuddering breath and a whine that was barely louder than a whisper, but it said what needed to be said.

His father rose to his feet and held his arms out and Hanbin went to him gratefully, crying into his chest.

“I'm sorry,” Hanbin said in place of a greeting, “I should have come to see you sooner.”

A soft and reassuring hand on the back of his head was his father’s initial answer, and he gave Hanbin a moment to utter a few more tears before speaking. “No apologies, don't do that to yourself.”

Hanbin pulled back then and sat down and his father mirrored him from across the table. They were both quiet for a moment, teary smiles speaking for them instead. Hanbin was thinking about what he'd told Bobby, about the conflicting emotions he'd been dragging around his neck. Trying to reconcile what his father had done with his company with the father he'd grown up with, and right now there was no trace of the ruthless businessman in front of him, just the concerned eyes of a father who knew there was a problem, but who was content to let him discuss it in his own time.

“I heard about your adventure,” his father said, excited spark in his eyes, “I’m very proud of you.”  
  
Hanbin flushed at the compliment, felt like it had been so long since words had affected him so deeply. “I did it for you,” Hanbin answered, looked his father in the eyes, “well, for both of us.”  
  
“Of course you did. You’re a better son than I ever could have imagined having.” He paused for a moment, and Hanbin was a little surprised at just how proud his dad looked. “I heard about your keepsake,” his father said, and Hanbin felt bad then that he hadn't brought it with him, but at the same time he felt like his decision would be respected.

“I decided not to bring it, I'm sorry,” Hanbin started, “it's just--”

“Not a memory to be linked with your father in jail,” his dad replied, “I can appreciate that.”

Hanbin nodded. “It's waiting for you at home.” He was surprised to see his father's eyes fill with tears of their own at that and he worried about the reason. Should he have brought it after all?

But his father seemed to notice his concern and he waved it off before wiping at his eyes. “Ah, don't worry about these, it's nothing bad. I'm just feeling grateful, is all.” He reached out for Hanbin's hand, taking it and squeezing his fingers.

“Grateful for what?” Hanbin asked, squeezing back.

“For you, of course.” his dad smiled and Hanbin looked away, a little embarrassed at how warm the praise made him.  
  
But as nice as the conversation was, Hanbin was aware of the time and he'd come here alone because he wanted advice. “So, I don't know if mom told you, but,” it was difficult for him to say, and he took a deep breath before continuing, “I broke up with Minho.”

His father seemed surprised at the news. “ _You_ broke up with him?” Hanbin nodded. “What for?”

“It just, it wasn't working. Like, it wasn't bad, it just, wasn't right?” He clutched at his dad's hand again, trying to stave off tears of his own. It wasn't that he really felt like crying about it, but there was something fresh and raw in opening the wound at the centre of it all again.

His father nodded. “How do you feel about it?”

Hanbin frowned. “I know it was the right thing, but, I don't know. I miss him.”

His father nodded, but he understood that what his son needed was just to talk it all out, so he continued with questions. “Do you still talk to each other?”

Hanbin shrugged, the question just making everything feel worse for some reason. “We text, but, it feels forced, you know? I want to talk to him, but it's so hard.”

“That's not surprising, really. It was a very important relationship for you, and just because the right choice was to end it, that doesn't make it an easy choice to live with.”

Hanbin nodded, because it was true. If he another ten chances to change things, he'd pick the same outcome each time. But that wouldn't make it any easier to deal with. “The biggest problem, though, is that I have a new boyfriend,” Hanbin admitted, and his dad smiled at that news, “and I'm really happy with him, but I can't stop thinking about Minho. I don't know what to do.” He looked at his father, expectant expression begging him for an answer. His father was good at solving problems, and Hanbin really needed a solution.

“Well, here's the thing, Hanbin. You were in love with Minho, and I'm guessing that you still love him. I think your problem is that your love is different, now, but your brain doesn't quite understand how to differentiate between what kind of love you have. When you think about Minho, what do you think about? What do you want?”

“I just want to talk to him,” Hanbin answered, trying to be as honest as possible, “I just want to sit down with him and talk, the way we used to. I want to tell him things.”

“Just talking? Do you think about kissing him?”

Hanbin couldn't stop the blush that heated up his cheeks at hearing his dad ask him about _kissing_ but he forced himself to get over it, and suddenly he's surprised with how this one little question seems to clarify things. “No, I don't.”

His father smiled and squeezed his hand again. “Well there's your answer. You love him, but that doesn't mean you're _in love_ with him. But you're used to being in love, so it's difficult to accept that your love isn't something romantic anymore.” Hanbin nodded, surprised because it seemed so simple when laid out like that. “Are you in love with this new boyfriend of yours?”

Hanbin blushed again and nodded. “Yeah, I think I am.”

“What's his name? Tell me about him.”

“Ah, I don't think I've mentioned him to you before? I met him through Jinan hyung, they've been friends almost as long as I've been friends with Jinan. His name's Bobby.”

“You've mentioned him,” his dad said with a smile, “has a younger brother, Chanwoo? Plays football.”

Hanbin smiled and met his dad's eyes. “I must have told you over eight months ago, I can't believe you remember.”

“Being in here gives you a lot of time to remember things, Hanbin. It doesn't take long to figure out what the important things are. The smile on your face when you brought him up, that's something I remember.” Hanbin was grateful to his dad for the comment, because if he'd picked up on just a smile, then it must have meant something had been brewing in his brain long ago for Bobby.

“Do you have a picture of him?” His dad asked, and Hanbin nodded, taking out his phone. His lockscreen was Bobby, but it was a dorky picture of him in nothing but his football tights and Hanbin wasn't keen on showing his dad a half naked picture of his new boyfriend. Instead he looked up a specific picture from a week ago of the two of them. It wasn't necessarily anything special—just a quick snap outside the school one afternoon, waiting for the bus—but it was _happy_.

He slid his phone over to his father, who smiled at the picture before whistling. “Well, _someone_ seems to have a very specific type.”

“What?!” Hanbin couldn't help but feel a little mortified at the comment. First Taehyun had commented, now his dad...

His father chuckled and slid the phone back. “Muscles.” Hanbin blushed and his father laughed at his embarrassment. “But you look happy, and that's all I care about.”

Hanbin picked the phone back up, unable to help but smile as he looked at the picture. He _was_ happy, Bobby made him happy. He was thankful he'd gotten to share the news with him finally. “You'll like him when you meet him.”

“I look forward to getting to know him.” They were silent for a moment and Hanbin glanced at the clock. It was almost time for his mother to join them. He looked back at his father.

“Thanks for the talk. It really helped.”

“Do you feel better about everything now?”

Hanbin nodded right away, looking up to meet his father's eyes. “I do.”

* * *

  
“Damn, aren’t you just the hottest guy in here?”  
  
Hanbin rolled his eyes, well-practiced at acting annoyed. It didn’t deter Bobby one bit, though.  
  
“Seriously, do you have a boyfriend? Cause you are way too pretty to be hanging out by yourself.” Bobby waggled his eyebrows at Hanbin and draped his arm around his shoulders.  
  
“I won’t if he keeps this shit up.” Hanbin teased, smiling at Bobby’s expression of fake wounded pride.  
  
“You’re a tough one to please, Bin-ah!” Bobby complained back, but he smiled when Hanbin pecked him quickly on the cheek.  
  
“That’s all you’re getting for now until you up your game.” Hanbin replied, a smug smile on his face, but a second later Bobby was pulling him in and pressing their lips together, and Hanbin happily kissed him back. He had the briefest thought of biting his tongue, just to keep him on his toes, but he decided to play nice for now. He could always tease Bobby later.  
  
Bobby finally pulled away when Hanbin relaxed against him. “How’s that for my game?” Bobby asked, hands settling around Hanbin’s waist.  
  
“Better,” he replied, slipping his arms around Bobby’s back, “you’re improving.”  
  
“Improving?” Bobby whined. “What more do you want?”  
  
Hanbin grinned and tightened his arms before kissing him again. “I'll let you know when I think you're ready for it.”  
  
Bobby pinched him, laughing when Hanbin whined and tried to squirm away. Bobby kept him close. “So, how was your visit with your dad?” Bobby asked, relieved when Hanbin beamed at him.  
  
“It was great, I’m really happy I finally went.” Hanbin relaxed again in Bobby's arms, grateful Bobby had asked.  
  
“That’s awesome!” Bobby had understood Hanbin’s trepidation about going to see his dad, but he’d still pushed him towards it, and he was glad Hanbin had reaped only rewards.  
  
“I told him about you,” Hanbin said, grinning when Bobby looked away shyly, “he said he can see it on my face, how happy you make me.”  
  
“Really?” Bobby was intrigued at the thought of what Hanbin’s dad was like, and it made him happy to hear that he was welcoming already. Bobby was still at a slightly awkward phase with his parents. He'd come out to them days after officially getting together with Hanbin, and while they'd taken it better than he'd expected, they weren't exactly as into the idea as Hanbin's parents. He was okay with giving them time, though, because it was a shock. Hanbin was understanding too, and Bobby thought he was doing an admirable job of appealing to Bobby's mother, especially.  
  
“Yeah. He'll like you, when you get to meet him.” Hanbin hadn't told anyone yet, but he'd found out yesterday that his father was actually up for early parole. If all went well, he'd be home for Christmas. The news would have stressed him out a week ago, but he was excited at the prospect now. He just wanted his family to be complete again. He'd deal with whatever social fallout came from it.  
  
“Are you free this weekend? Specifically Saturday night?” Hanbin still hadn't mentioned the party to Bobby yet, because he'd wanted to do it in person.  
  
“Well, I was hoping we'd make plans, so I was keeping my busy schedule clear.” Bobby jokingly replied.  
  
“Good!” Hanbin reached down to grab his hand. “Because we're going to a party.”  
  
“Oh? Whose party?” Bobby asked, curious about the news. It couldn't possibly be any party from friends at school, because Bobby would know about those before Hanbin did.  
  
Hanbin took a calming breath before launching into an explanation. “I don't know if you remember Woo Jiho? He quarterbacked before Minho took over, pretty sure you were playing during his last year?”  
  
Bobby frowned. Of course he knew Jiho. “This isn't starting well, just so you know.”  
  
Hanbin grinned. “Ah, don't tell me, you guys hated each other too?”  
  
“No, it's just, he kind of tried to out me? Or at least I think he did,” Bobby explained, “I think I told you I dated a guy once, a few years ago, but it was a secret? Well I don't know how he ended up hearing about it, but during a game once some of the guys on his team said shit to me. _Is this the fag Jiho's talking about_? Stuff like that. He never said anything to me, but, I always kind of held it against him anyway?”  
  
Hanbin frowned, feeling conflicted. He didn't know Jiho had even known who Bobby was. “Do you not wanna go? I understand if it'll be too weird for you.”  
  
“No! Ah that shit's all old news, I can get over it. Is this his party or something?” Bobby wasn't really that bothered about it anymore, anyway. Jiho couldn't possibly have any actual objections to gay guys, not if he was friends with Hanbin.  
  
“Yeah. He left Seoul for university, and he's back home for a week visiting. He's throwing a bonfire party, and he told Taehyun that he wanted to meet you.”  
  
Bobby raised his eyebrows at that revelation. “Why does he want to meet me? How close are you with him?”  
  
Hanbin grinned. “We're friendly, but Minho is actually the one he's super close with.”  
  
“Oh so he wants to kick my ass for stealing you away?” Bobby guessed that wasn't really the case, but he was going to tease Hanbin about the possibility anyway.  
  
“No! Well, I don't think so?” Hanbin could tease back, though. “He said he wanted to make sure you were worthy of my affection.”  
  
Bobby laughed at the answer. “Oh, so he's gonna pull a protective hyung move, then?”  
  
“Probably. He might threaten you? That depends on how mad at me he is, of course.” Hanbin was relieved that Bobby seemed to be okay with it now.  
  
“Is Minho gonna be there?” Bobby knew that Hanbin occasionally talked to him still (Hanbin was very up front about it, so Bobby wasn't too bothered) but he wasn't sure how a face to face meeting would go for any of them.  
  
Hanbin nodded. “Yeah, he's gonna be there.” He thought again about Taehyun's revelation. “He uh, apparently has a new boyfriend. I have to meet him.”  
  
Bobby was surprised at the news. “Are you okay?” He wasn't sure what drove him to ask—of course Hanbin _should_ be okay with Minho dating again. But Bobby wasn't stupid. He knew Hanbin was still struggling a bit with everything. He hoped seeing Minho with someone new would be good for Hanbin. Of course it could also blow up in their faces and ignite a slowly simmering jealousy, but Bobby was going to choose to be optimistic and positive.  
  
“Of course I am!” Hanbin answered, a little too quickly.  
  
“You know that sounded alarmingly defensive, right?” Bobby teased him.  
  
Hanbin blushed and squeezed Bobby's hand. “I know, sorry. I just,” he struggled to figure out how to explain things, but Bobby was already ahead of him.  
  
“I understand, Hanbin. It was a confusing break up.”  
  
“No, Bobby, I don't want you to think--”  
  
“Shh, really Hanbin, it's okay.” Bobby pressed a finger over Hanbin's lips, silencing him. “I trust you. I know you love me, even if you're still confused about him, I get it.”  
  
Hanbin felt an immense wave of relief hit him with Bobby's words. He smiled and leaned forward, pressing his lips to Bobby's for a kiss. “Thanks, that means a lot to me.”  
  
Bobby smiled back and felt weirdly proud of himself at the moment. He'd obviously said the right thing to Hanbin, and he believed himself about it. “I think it'll probably help, seeing him with someone else. Seeing him happy.”  
  
Hanbin nodded, pleased that Bobby seemed to understand it so well. “That's what I'm hoping. Might make me feel less guilty.” After talking with his dad, Hanbin was more confident that he'd be okay with the meeting, but having Bobby there with him would make him feel better.  
  


* * *

  
“So, Hanbin told me about the party on Saturday,” Jinhwan casually mentioned as he took a seat next to Bobby in the cafeteria, “you sure you wanna do this?”  
  
“Yeah, of course!” Bobby replied, “it'll be good, right?”  
  
“Not nervous about Hanbin seeing Minho again?” Jinhwan wasn't entirely sure how he felt about it. On one hand, he thought a lot of Hanbin's hangups were because he _hadn't_ seen Minho since the breakup, and the forced estrangement was having the opposite intended effect. On the other hand, he couldn't help but worry at least a little.  
  
“No, of course not.” Bobby answered, even though it was a bit of a lie. He'd told himself he was going to go into it positive and trusting, but the closer it got the more concerned he became.  
  
“Are you sure?” Jinhwan had a feeling that he was lying to a certain degree.  
  
Bobby paused, wondering if he ought to just admit it out loud? Maybe it would help for the feelings to go away. “Okay, well, I guess I'm a little worried? I mean I told him I trust him, and I do. Did he tell you Minho's apparently got a new boyfriend?”  
  
“Yeah, Taehyun actually warned me about it before he told Hanbin.”  
  
Bobby grinned, not really surprised anymore. He'd had such an opposite read on Taehyun before getting to know him, and even though he was still one of the prickliest people Bobby had ever met, he was still protective of Hanbin. “I guess that was smart. Anyway, part of me thinks it'll be good for him to see Minho with someone new, but then I worry that maybe it'll make him jealous?”  
  
Jinhwan nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I worry about that too. I think he'll be okay, though.”  
  
“Yeah me too. I mean I feel more positive than worried, but the worry's still there.” It did feel good to acknowledge it, validation when Jinhwan had the same concerns. Oddly enough it actually just made Bobby feel more confident that Hanbin would be okay.  
  
“I think he just needs to talk to him again and see face to face that Minho's not still broken up and hating him for it.”  
  
Bobby hummed in assent as he finally took a bite of his lunch. His eyes fell on Hanbin then, in line with Junhoe and Chanwoo, bickering with the former while the latter stood with an arm around Hanbin's shoulders. Bobby hadn't been sure how Hanbin and Chanwoo's friendship would be affected by their relationship, but to his surprise it seemed like Chanwoo was even closer to Hanbin now. It made Bobby happy to see them get along so well.  
  


* * *

  
The four of them piled out of the car, waving goodbye to Taehyun's mother. They were gathered at the dock, waiting for the others to arrive before everyone left together for the island. Hanbin looked around, curious about who was here already. He spotted Jiho, a beer cracked open already, chatting with Seunghoon. There was no sight of Minho yet.  
  
Just then Jiho turned his head and noticed Hanbin, waving to him from across the parking lot.  
  
“Good luck!” Taehyun mockingly said, one hand pushing against Hanbin's shoulder. Hanbin waved back but hesitated before walking over.  
  
“Kim Hanbin!” Jiho yelled, leaning against the side of his black Jeep. “Get your ass over here!”  
  
Hanbin grinned and turned to Bobby. “Well, it was nice while it lasted. If I don't come back, tell my family I love them.”  
  
Bobby laughed and pecked him quickly on the lips. “In case you don't come back!” He teased.  
  
“Hanbin!” Jiho yelled again, and Hanbin quickly left the group, walking to where Jiho stood, eyes raking him over as he approached.  
  
“Hey hyung!” Hanbin greeted as cutely as possible, not really as apprehensive as he was acting. To his surprise Jiho held his arms out.  
  
“Come here, kid!” Hanbin gladly accepted the hug, relieved when Jiho's arms tightened around his back. They hugged for a few seconds before Jiho pulled back.  
  
“Alright, let's not beat around the bush,” Jiho started, “you're a dirty cheater who broke my favourite little brother's heart.”  
  
Hanbin didn't fall for it, grinning at the words. “You gonna kick my ass?”  
  
Jiho grinned back. “Nah, just checking your reaction! If you got defensive then it meant you probably did do him dirtier than I heard. But you're safe.”  
  
Hanbin laughed and shook his head. “You had me so worried.”  
  
“Ah you, still just as mouthy as ever!” Jiho reached out a hand to ruffle Hanbin's hair. “Did you bring your new boyfriend?”  
  
Hanbin nodded. “Yeah, Bobby's just over there with Taehyun and Jinan.”  
  
Jiho looked, eyes narrowing in concentration. “He looks familiar.”  
  
“You don't remember him?” Hanbin grinned and thought about Bobby's past grievances.  
  
“Should I?” Jiho asked.  
  
“He said you tried to out him a few years ago.”  
  
Jiho's face lit up in recognition. “Oh, I remember him now!” He laughed, his eyes on Bobby as he took a sip of his beer. “All's fair when the city title's on the line! He's not still mad, is he?”  
  
Hanbin grinned back. “Nah, he's found it in his heart to move on.”  
  
“Ah, good,” Jiho replied, and suddenly his lips pulled up in a devious grin, “let's go say hi.”  
  
“You gonna threaten him?” Hanbin asked, and Jiho rubbed his hands together.  
  
“You bet your ass I am.”  
  


* * *

  
“Every time I see you it's the same thing,” Jinhwan complained, “ _ah hyung, I never see you, I feel like you don't like me anymore!_ ” Hanbin laughed at the impersonation, while Taehyun frowned.  
  
“Not true! Well, it _is_ true, because I feel like our friendship is very one-sided?” Taehyun replied. “I definitely put in more effort than you do.”  
  
“Then what are you disputing?!” Jinhwan replied, tempted to reach out and smack him. He wasn't really annoyed though. Taehyun's needling behaviour was part of his charm.  
  
“I don't whine about it every time I see you!” Taehyun replied. “I won't stand here and have you slander me like this.”  
  
“Slander?” Hanbin interrupted. “It's true!”  
  
“You know Hanbin didn't even want to invite you; I was the one who told him to bring you!” Taehyun cried out.

“I believe his exact words were _bring Jinhwan, I haven't seen that asshole in a while_ , so you can see how badly he wanted you here.” Hanbin countered with a grin.

“You left out the part where I said that I missed him!” Taehyun grumbled.

“Only because it was obviously a lie!” Hanbin replied, looking at Jinhwan. “He probably only wanted you to come so he could ask about your sister.”

“Lies!” Taehyun retorted, “I wanted to ask about his mom too.”

“Taehyun!” Jinhwan yelled, lashing out and smacking Taehyun's arm, and Hanbin laughed in between them.

“Too far, Nam, too far!” Hanbin grinned.

Taehyun actually managed to look sorry for once. “Ah, you're right.” He looked at Jinhwan, who was watching him with narrowed eyes. “I'm sorry, hyung!”

Jinhwan shook his head and wagged his finger back at him. “Oh no, you don't get to call me hyung after that! Your hyung privileges have been rescinded!”

Taehyun grinned back at him. “Good cause I hate calling you hyung!”

“Man, you guys are so dysfunctional!” Bobby exclaimed, amused but a little shocked.

“Yeah well, that's what happens when you've been friends as long as we have.” Taehyun replied.

“Bullshit, I've been friends with Jinan just as long as you have been, maybe even longer. We never talk to each other like this.” Bobby wasn't really bothered though—he actually thought they were hilarious.

Taehyun regarded him with a frown. “Well, don't you have a fuckin' heart of gold.”

“Taehyun!” Jinhwan yelled. “Be nice! Can't we have ten minutes without your bullshit?”

Taehyun looked at his watch. “Ten minutes? What do I get out of it?”

“You get to experience what normal friendship feels like.” Hanbin replied.

“Eh, sounds overrated.” They all laughed at his response, and that was the moment when Hanbin's eyes were drawn over to a newly arrived car that he recognized. The door opened and out came Minho.

Hanbin felt his heart stop for a minute when his eyes fell on his ex-boyfriend. He wasn't entirely sure what he felt at the moment—there was a bit of longing, for sure, some sadness, but also a kind of happiness of the sort you'd get from meeting an old friend—and he watched as Minho approached them. The second his eyes took in Hanbin, Minho's face lit up in a smile.

Hanbin squeezed Bobby's hand, and Bobby responded by leaning over to whisper in his ear.

“Go and say hi,” Bobby's voice was soft and gentle and Hanbin couldn't find a trace of jealousy in it. He looked at Bobby, and all he got in return was a smile. “Honestly, Hanbin, go, it's fine.”

Hanbin smiled back and squeezed his hand one last time before letting go and walk up to Minho. There was that same old fluttering in his chest that had always been there, and while Hanbin's knee jerk reaction was to feel guilty about it, he forced himself to just accept it instead. He remembered his dad's advice, that just because you still felt love for someone, it didn't necessarily mean you wanted to be _in_ love with them. He and Minho hadn't parted on bad terms, so of course it was only natural that Hanbin still felt good things when he saw him.

“Hey hyung,” he greeted, and Minho looked positively elated to see him.

“Hey you!” He reached out and laid a hand on Hanbin's shoulder, “haven't seen you in a while.”

Hanbin didn't freak out at the touch the way he half expected himself to. “Yeah, I'm sorry. Honestly.”

“Was starting to think that maybe you'd been lying about wanting to stay friends.” Minho's voice was just a touch reprimanding, and Hanbin was surprised to find that he was actually grateful for it.

“I know,” he answered, and he met Minho's eyes, “I'm sorry and I promise I'll stop being a stranger.” He hesitated for a moment before surging forward and wrapping his arms around Minho. “I missed you.”

Minho hugged him back, and Hanbin couldn't help but feel like everything was sorting itself out in his head finally. “I missed you too, Hanbin.” He pulled back after a moment and looked briefly towards where Bobby stood with Jinhwan and Taehyun. “I see you brought Bobby.”

Hanbin nodded, and it felt oddly _good_ to hear Minho say his name. “Apparently Jiho threatened Taehyun to make sure I brought him.”

Minho laughed at the answer. “Oh I don't doubt that for a fucking second,” he grinned and locked eyes with Hanbin again, his expression turning serious, almost like he needed to ask his next question before they could settle into something more comfortable for the night. “Are you happy, Hanbin?”

Hanbin nodded, a smile pulling at his lips. “Yeah, I am.”

Minho smiled back. “Good.”  
  
“Are you happy?” Hanbin returned the question, slightly nervous to hear the answer.  
  
“I'm getting there,” Minho replied, “I'd be happier if we hung out some time.”  
  
Hanbin nodded, relieved to find that Minho felt the same way he did. He had a good feeling that things were going to work out well for them after all. “Me too. So let's do that! And no more awkward text messages either.”  
  
Minho laughed. “Please! I'll take partial responsibility for that too, it's like we forgot how to have a normal conversation.”  
  
“Yeah, it was pretty pathetic of us.” Hanbin felt like shackles had been unlocked from his wrists with the admission, and he hadn't felt so completely at peace in a long time. He wondered if maybe he'd made a mistake in taking so long to see Minho again, if he hadn't just made everything worse for himself by choosing to stay away? Now that he was seeing him face to face again, he felt like all of his concerns were slipping away. Their roles and relationship were different now, but whatever they were, _important_ was still how he'd choose to term it.  
  
“Hey, hyung? Don't say anything about this, cause I haven't told anyone else, but I saw my dad earlier this week, and he's up for early parole in December.”  
  
Minho's face lit up at the news. “Bin, that's awesome!” He hugged him tightly, happy for Hanbin, but also just a bit happier knowing that Hanbin hadn't shared the news with anyone else yet. Maybe it was a little weird that he hadn't told Bobby, Jinhwan, or Taehyun, but then he figured that he had been the one who'd probably heard Hanbin talk about his dad the most, who knew every embittered emotion he'd kept bottled up for the past year, so it was only natural for Hanbin to still look to him for ensuing conversation.  
  
It felt nice to get Minho's reaction, and also nice to share the news. “Yeah, I just want him home again. I miss him. I didn't realize how much it was dragging me down, holding it all against him.”  
  
Minho was thrilled to hear Hanbin say it, elated that he was letting go of the negativity surrounding his dad. Choosing to be positive was important. “I'm happy for you, I know it took some time to get to this point.”  
  
“It did, but it's over now.” Hanbin grinned and looked around. “Enough about me, though. We should talk about you.”  
  
“What about me?” Minho asked, feeling like Hanbin had something specific he wanted to talk about. He wasn't entirely certain, because Taehyun had managed to evade the question every time he asked it, but Minho was pretty sure Taehyun had told Hanbin about his new love interest. Minho had wanted to do it himself, but he'd kept putting it off, nervous about Hanbin's reaction.  
  
Hanbin grinned back at him. “Jeon Jungkook?”

Minho's smile dissolved into a look of irritation, his assumption proven correct. “Fucking Taehyun!”

“I wouldn't suggest that.” Hanbin couldn't help but tease, grinning when Minho got his joke and laughed.

“Not even after a dozen beers!” They laughed together for a moment before Minho addressed the actual question. “What did he tell you, about Jungkook?”  
  
“Not much, just that you guys were awkwardly flirting for the past few weeks.”  
  
Minho rolled his eyes and directed a glare Taehyun's way. “Awkwardly flirting? The only awkward person about it is Taehyun.”  
  
“Oh, so your flirting was natural and easy, then?” Hanbin teased, pleased to find that he really didn't feel jealous at all to be discussing Minho with someone new.  
  
“How about your flirting with Bobby? Was that awkward at all?” Minho teased back.  
  
Hanbin grinned and looked away. “I guess you and I are just naturals, huh?”  
  
Minho laughed and slung an arm around his shoulders. “I guess we are. Anyway, we should probably go see the others. I don't want Bobby worrying about me.”  
  
“He's not,” Hanbin said, “he knows you're important to me, so he wants to be friendly with you.”  
  
Minho smiled and felt relieved when he heard it. “I won't pretend that won't be weird, given our rivalry and all, but it'll be nice to not have to worry about it.” They were silent for a moment, both of them looking at the little group that waited for them. Hanbin was struck with a sudden idea, and maybe he ought to wait until he actually met Jungkook before asking but he was going to go for it now.  
  
“Hey, I was thinking, maybe some time the four of us could go out together?” Hanbin asked, hopeful eyes on Minho.  
  
Minho was surprised to hear the request, but the idea actually appealed to him. “A double date?”  
  
Hanbin smiled hopefully, grateful Minho hadn't shot it down right off the bat. “Yeah. Do you think it's a good idea?”  
  
Minho smiled and tightened his arm around Hanbin's shoulders. “I think it's a great idea.” He remembered interacting with Bobby that night on the beach, thinking that, had things been different, he and Bobby would have made great friends. Minho hoped they'd end up proving him right.  
  
Hanbin smiled back and felt like everything was properly aligned now. Guilt wouldn't hold him back anymore, and he had a very important person properly back in his life in Minho. He looked forward to meeting Jungkook, no trace of jealousy at all in his thoughts. He suddenly couldn't wait to hear about him, couldn't wait to hear stories about them together, and he couldn't wait to share stories of his own too.  
  
People always said you ought to date your best friend, and Hanbin found comfort in the idea that instead of thinking of Minho as his _ex-boyfriend_ , instead he could just call him his _best friend_ and no one had to know the difference.

 


End file.
